In Between Series 12 Even the Most Lost Can Be Found With a Good Plan
by NeedtoKnow
Summary: Continuation of a Series of stories that fit "In Between" episodes that were aired so that things can be better explained/explored. This story is set in between "Lost and Found." & "...Never Been a Spy". THIS is the one to read. I think this is my best ever. Sri Lanka, Angelo & Eva and some new characters you just might like along the way. Sooo many holes filled in. In Progress
1. Chapter 1 - The New Assignment

**Disclaimer - "Scarecrow and Mrs. King" are copyrighted to Warner Brothers and Shoot the Moon Productions. This story is for entertainment only. I will not make any money off it but do hope that at least some people will enjoy it. The Characters are not mine; I only took them out to play with them for a while so they could help me tell the story. All the credit goes to Bruce and Kate and their wonderful supporting staff for portraying these wonderful characters so well that so many of us still love them so much today. The additional characters and this story are mine.**

**A/N #1 – For those who are familiar with my In Between Series, you know that I accomplish two things with them. First, I try to fill in all the holes that were missing from the aired version. Then Amanda and Lee help me tell what happened in between the aired episodes. Since I meld them into the series like they really were aired (because we know that Amanda and Lee are real so the stories really do exist), I will be using references from past stories in future stories. This story does not have that issues though so don't worry about it. However, some of these characters will definitely be making appearances in future stories. I think some of them are too special not to continue ****_their _****stories. **

**Special A/N**: So I thought you all might like a new story. The concept of this story has been brewing in my brain for months since I don't think anyone ever told what Lee did in Sri Lanka when Billy sent him there. I pitched the idea to a fan and that person encouraged me to write it. I agreed and the fan agreed to read my material and make suggestions. Sometimes I took the suggestions and sometimes, I didn't so all content ultimately is mine especially if it is bad. We agreed to call this fan "One Match" as a code name. I can't thank her enough for helping me and putting up with waiting so long in between chapters as I dealt with life issues. Not only did she support me, but she was not upset if I didn't use her suggestions. If you are looking for a short story to read, this is not it. This story not only tells the Sri Lanka background, but then it continues with Angelo's and Eva's story. Didn't it always seem strange to you that the last scene we see of Angelo is him moping about his wife and then suddenly he disappears? That seems strange since it isn't like the Russians will just give up. Plus why would Amanda just walk away. Well I'm here to share the rest of the story with you. If you give me a chance, I think you will enjoy this ride. Let me know what you think. Thanks! NTK

**Chapter One – A New Assignment**

Lee had left Amanda's house after making sure she was planning to stay with the agency and headed back to his apartment feeling satisfied. After all, he didn't need the hassle that Billy would give him about finding a new partner to work with if Amanda left. That was definitely the one good thing about working with Amanda; it got Billy off his back. He wasn't sure why, but he also just felt like he would miss her if she wasn't at the agency. He shook his head and tried to clear his mind. He had thought enough about Amanda King for one day.

He spent the rest of the day taking it easy and relaxing. It was something he didn't do often, and he felt like he deserved it. He could have called a lady friend for companionship, but he wasn't in the mood to cater to all the emotions that women tended to bring with them. Instead, he turned on the TV and watched a couple of football games. At noon, he ordered pizza to be delivered for his lunch and had enough left over for dinner too. It was actually nice to kick back. When the teams he was rooting for both won; he decided to shut off the tv and read a book for awhile. He hadn't realized how tired his body was both physically and mentally from this past case. Before long, he was sound asleep on the couch. He woke up several hours later due to the lamp blaring in his face. He got up, turned the light off and went to bed.

He was awake before his alarm went off. He took a shower, dressed and then headed to the agency. He had just walked into the bullpen when Billy stuck his head out of his office door and said with authority, "Lee, I need to see you right away."

"Sure Billy. I was just going to grab a cup of coffee, do you want any?"

"No, I still have a half a cup. This is important though so do it quickly," Billy urged as he sat back down behind his desk to wait for Lee. Lee quickly poured coffee into his mug, added a little cream and headed in to Billy's office. Billy motioned for him to close the door and have a seat.

"What's the rush Billy?"

"Lee, I have an important assignment for you."

"Oh, I don't know if Amanda is ready for another assignment yet."

Billy smiled and said "No, this is just for you. I need you to go to Sri Lanka."

"Sri Lanka? Come on Billy! I just got off this case and now you want me to go out of the country. How long is this going to take?" Lee got up and began pacing as he swiped his hand in frustration through his hair.

"I guess it will depend on how long you take to wrap things up."

Lee sighed as he forced himself to sit back down. "Okay, okay, what am I doing?" he asked.

"We were contacted by an Italian Agency to help them out. There is a terrorist group working out of Sri Lanka. A few weeks ago, they managed to break into a secured government building in Milan and stole some important classified documents. Those documents contain all the information about a secret weapon that the Italians are in the process of building. The Italian agency believes that the group was able to transport the documents to their main camp in Sri Lanka. Our intelligence has informed us that the group has already put the word out that they intend to auction the documents off to the highest bidder. You know, with the Civil War going on in Sri Lanka, this could turn things deadly, _very_ quickly. It is imperative that we help the Italians get these documents back as fast as possible before that happens. I have already booked a flight that takes off in about 2 hours from now. You need to be on that flight!"

"Why are they asking for our help? We aren't their closest ally. Why can't someone else do it? I just got finished an assignment. I thought I would have a couple of days off," Lee struggled to find a way out of having to go.

"No, we are not Italy's closest Ally, but we have dealt with this terrorist group before. More importantly, you have personally had dealings with this group."

"Oh Billy, are you talking about the National Revolution Group?"

"Yes, that's the one."

"They are bad news."

"I know Lee. That is why I need you to go help out the Italians. I've asked a friend of mine to meet you at the Airport once you land in Italy. He can assist you in anyway needed. He agreed and has even handpicked a couple of his best men to help you. His name is Vinnie Mariano, but I'm not sure who your team will be."

Lee sighed as he realized there was no talking Billy out of this one. "Okay, I'll go pack. I'll let Amanda know I'll be out of town."

"I don't see any harm in that as long as you don't tell her where you are going or why."

"Oh, I don't intend to. I just want her to know that there won't be any work for a few days. Hopefully I can tie this up quickly though, for everyone's sake."

"Good luck Lee," Billy said as Lee walked out of his office and headed for the elevator. As he watched him go, Billy couldn't help but smile. His plan was working perfectly so far. Not only would Lee be busy out of the country, but hopefully he would be successful and the Italians would owe them a favor. Now, if only everything else worked out the way it was supposed to. He would need to call his old friend Vinnie Mariano to let him know Lee was on the way so he could meet him at the airport. He needed to remind Vinnie that Lee must never know that the Italians never asked for help.

Meanwhile, the call to Amanda could wait. He wasn't quite sure when her services would be needed but he was confident that she would be as willing as always to help him.

**TBC**


	2. Chapter 2 - Memories

**Chapter Two – Memories**

Lee sighed as he used the phone in his apartment and called Amanda. Thankfully her Mother appeared to be in the room, so Lee simply told her that he would be away for a week or two and that he would call her when he returned. She sounded disappointed, but didn't complain. He then quickly packed his bags and headed for Dulles Airport. It wasn't the first time Lee had flown to Sri Lanka. Boy he hated this flight though. Spending at least 24 hours in a tiny airplane seat with little leg room was not his idea of a fun time. It didn't take long to check in and soon he was being boarded onto the plane. Billy had been kind and sprung for first class seats since it was a long flight. Lee was thankful for the extra leg room. He decided that he would have a few drinks to help pass the time.

In a matter of an hour, he had downed his third scotch and decided that he would try to get some sleep. It soon became clear that it was impossible to sleep since there were a few kids on the plane and it was just too loud. Soon he slipped into his memories of the last time he met up with the National Revolution Group (NRG). He had barely escaped with his life. If Ehsan Sharif had not helped him, he would not have escaped. He already owed Ehsan a lot. Would the man be willing to help him once again when it meant putting his own life on the line again? As Lee thought about Ehsan, the thought also crossed his mind that he might not even be alive. After all, it was a very dangerous environment that he was in. Sadly, there was a good chance Ehsan's luck had run out and he had been murdered.

It was about 4 years ago when Lee was sent in by the agency to infiltrate the NRG. The U.S. Government was worried about how quickly they had come to power. It was decided that they needed someone inside to find out how powerful they really were. The agency was contacted and Billy assigned Lee to the case.

Lee's cover was pretending to be a disgruntled American looking to take revenge on a Government who had caused the death of both his parents. His dad had been heavy into politics and was working on being elected to the Senate. His opponent was a very popular criminal attorney who was favored to win. The two were seen arguing in public quite often. When the lawyer's body suddenly turned up with several bullet holes in it, Lee's dad was immediately blamed for the death. He found himself arrested and thrown into a prison cell. The investigation was sloppily done and there wasn't any evidence that Lee's dad had actually killed the man. In fact, he had an airtight alibi, but it didn't matter because the Judge found him guilty anyway. The judge had been close friends to the lawyer and should have been removed from the case. It was obvious that nothing about the whole trial had been done legitimately. His mother could only watch as they railroaded the man she loved to prison for a crime he didn't commit. Three weeks later, the prison guards found Lee's dad in his bunk. He was dead with multiple stab wounds on his body. He had been still trying to prove his innocence and people had started to listen. Lee and his mother begged the Government to get involved. Even his dad's friends seemed to be a part of framing the man. No one would admit that they had punished the wrong man. In the end, his mother was so distraught that she hung herself in the garage one day. Lee found the body when he went to visit her. He swore revenge against all of those who contributed to his dad's death. It wasn't safe for him to stay in the United States though so he started looking for help in other countries. The NRG was recruiting young men and he jumped at the opportunity to learn their ways and possibly convince them later on to take up his fight for him. He fully intended to avenge his parents murder and this group seemed like his best bet to accomplish that goal.

The leaders of the group were excited to sign on someone who was so angry with the government. This man was the perfect recruit. They would channel that anger into making him a killing machine. They enlisted him in their training, boot camp, but like all new recruits, they watched him closely. Lee acted like he was a newbie for a few days and then slowly began improving his shooting, running and defense skills.

During that time Ehsan had been one of his instructors and he was really impressed with Lee's skills. He soon began showing him preferential treatment and even broke the rules and invited him to go into town with him when he went to the local bar. Lee began to gain Ehsan's trust. Lee soon realized that Ehsan was a good guy who had gotten involved with the group in hopes of changing the way Governments mistreated their citizens. Lee could sense that Ehsan was becoming less enthusiastic about the techniques they used. In private, Ehsan told Lee that he was against killing innocent people and it really upset him when children were hurt or killed. He confided in Lee that he felt that it was his duty in many ways to stay with the group just to keep them from harming innocent people. The leaders all seemed very fond of Ehsan and trusted him completely. They would usually listen to him if he demanded they pick a different target because too many civilians would be hurt.

It took a couple of months before Ehsan trusted Lee, but then he seemed to tell him almost everything. Lee soon began learning more about the group's background, other involvements and future planned activities. He told Lee that their original mission had been to join forces with other rebels against discriminatory and abusive Governments. They had wanted to help them gain freedom for the citizens of those countries. The NRG had been successful in a few small countries and soon the group's leaders decided it was time to move onto some of the larger countries. Ehsan confided in Lee that he was concerned that the group was losing their focus and becoming greedy. They were beginning to ask for money for this help. He feared that soon, the group would put themselves out to the highest bidder and become very dangerous.

The NRG had come to Sri Lanka because they knew that the Sinhalese people were treating the Tamil's horribly. They had kicked them out of any powerful positions while taking away all their rights and treating them like they didn't belong. They treated them like they were the sludge of the earth. The Tamil's were fighting back so NRG agreed to come help them. Since a lot of the group's men were Muslims, they had faced similar discrimination in other countries. They were eager to help in the fight.

At one point, Ehsan asked Lee if he was sure he wanted to be a part of this fight since he had nothing at stake in it. Lee assured him that this was the sort of thing he had come to help with. Lee was due to graduate from training boot camp in a week. After graduating, they could choose to send him anywhere so it was important that he stayed with Ehsan. During his training, Lee had been unable to get any kind of message to the agency. He desperately needed to contact them and relay all he had learned. Things were really heating up too, and soon Lee would be forced to be part of this war. That put him in a bad situation because he might be forced to kill people in order to not blow his cover. He needed to find out if Billy wanted him to stay or if they had enough information already so he could come home. Of course, this group had little regard for human life, so Lee was putting his life on the line and could be killed at any moment. As far as Lee was concerned, it was time to go home. Staying in Sri Lanka likely wouldn't gain them any more knowledge and would risk diplomatic relations with other countries if it was found out that Lee had been planted there. .

Since he was now considered Ehsan's underling, the other men mostly left him alone. He decided that the only choice he had was to sneak out that night and go to town where he could use a phone and get in contact with the agency. It meant taking a vehicle as the town was over 20 miles away. Ehsan had night guard duty that night so Lee waited until he was focused on something else and then slid into one of the jeeps. After hotwiring it, he slowly drove away into the night. After he was a quarter of a mile down the road, he turned on the headlights and raced to town. He walked into the bar where Ehsan had taken him many times and thought he would be safe since the staff recognized him. What he didn't know was that Ehsan's bosses did not trust Lee and had asked the town to keep an eye on him if he ever showed up there on his own.

Lee asked if he could use the phone and then called the number that allowed him access into the agency without having to pay. It was Francine that answered the phone that day. Lee found out that Billy was out so he told her some of the highlights of what he had found out. Lee then asked Francine to get the authorization for him to come home. He never noticed the man standing in the shadows that was listening to the phone call until it was too late. Suddenly Lee was hit full force in the face and fell to the floor. The last thing he remembered was being hit again in the nose.

When he awoke, he found himself with his hands tied behind his back and his nose and cheek hurting badly. As he looked around, he could see that there was a man standing there with a gun pointed at him. When the man realized that Lee was awake, he grunted and then opened the cabin door and yelled out to someone in Arabic. A few minutes later a man with a long scar that ran from his nose down to his cheekbone walked in and cautiously walked up to Lee.

In a thick dialect he said "Oh so you are awake. Do you want to tell us who you really are now?"

"I don't know what you are talking about. I'm Lee Steadman and I have been training to be a member of the NRG. Who are you?"

"I, Mr. Steadman, am the Commander of this organization and I don't believe you. I think you are a spy. A Spy that maybe was sent in by the Government of Sri Lanka? It would be in your best interest to confess."

"No Sir, I'm not a spy from the Sri Lanka Government. I am just an American who wanted to help your cause."

"So how do you explain the phone call that you made in town?"

Lee had been thinking about what he would say if the man who hit him had overheard the actual phone call. Lee answered "Okay, you got me. I'm actually a reporter who works for a film documentary company. I came here to check out what you folks are doing and to give you some good publicity. I was calling my boss and giving him some generic details so he could begin creating the film."

"I don't believe you. I'm having the phone line traced. My man heard most of the call but we want to know who you gave vital information to. I trust that your will is in order Mr. Steadman?"

Lee glared at the Commander but didn't say anything more.

"I'll be back once I find out who you really work for. Don't think you can escape because there will be a man posted right outside the door."

Everyone left Lee alone, but he could hear whispering just outside the door. It went on for a few minutes and then, suddenly, it was eerily quiet. It seemed like hours passed by and then Ehsan suddenly appeared in the room. He stood staring at Lee for a minute while seemingly lost in thought and then finally said "Lee, I had no idea you were an American Spy. You put yourself at a great risk to come here."

"Spy? What do you mean spy? I'm just a film documentary reporter."

"I'm not stupid Lee. I thought it was amazing that you learned everything I taught you so quickly. Now it all makes sense. There was always something about you that made me feel like I could trust you. That's why I told you more than I should have. You are in a lot of trouble right now though. You must realize that they plan to execute you in the morning, I'm sure?"

"Yeah I figured that out. You are one of them though so why do you care?"

"Well I have my own secrets."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that I'm also an Intelligence Operative. I was sent here from Italy."

"Wow, I didn't see that one." Lee said with the shock registering in his voice.

"Thankfully no one else has either. I managed to work my way pretty deeply into this organization. We are monitoring their movements and I'm trying to keep the causalities at a minimum. Unfortunately we can't shut them down as they would just start another group so my Agency decided that the best thing was for me to infiltrate the group and keep an eye on them. All those times that I told you I was going outside to smoke; I was checking in with my office. I actually don't smoke."

Lee was stunned at this newest development. He couldn't help but be in awe of the man that he now saw in a different light. "You had me fooled. You are really good at your job."

"Well you better hope so because I have to get you out of here without them suspecting it is me that helped you. Don't worry, I have a plan."

For the next 10 minutes, Ehsan told Lee how he planned to save him from sure death. He then wished him good luck as he placed a small jackknife into his hand and left. Lee hadn't seen him again or heard from him in all these years. He could only hope that he was still there.

**TBC**


	3. Chapter 3 - The Escape

**Chapter 3 – The Escape**

"Sir! Sir? Are you okay?" Lee suddenly came back into the present as he realized that the stewardess was busy shaking his body. It took a few seconds for him to remember that he was on a plane and was headed for Sri Lanka. As the realization set in, Lee quickly sat upright and looked around him while his hand reached for his gun. "What's wrong?" he asked worriedly.

"You were in some sort of trance and your face had turned completely white while your hands were clutched to the seat," she answered as Lee looked at his hands and forced himself to relax them so that the color began returning to them.

"Are you okay?" she asked again. "I was worried you were having a seizure or something and was about to see if there is a doctor on board. Should I still check so you can be examined?"

"No, No that won't be necessary. I'm fine. I just let some daydreams take control of me. Please don't make a scene, okay?" Lee pleaded with his eyes. Since he had been forced to disclose who he was when he boarded in order to keep his gun, she realized that she had overreacted. The stewardess nodded, looked around and observed that most of the passengers were sleeping. I'm sorry. I don't think anyone noticed," she said apologetically.

"It's okay" Lee assured her as he ordered another scotch. She brought it right away and he downed it in one gulp. It didn't take long to slip back into the past as he remembered the rest of it.

After Ehsan had left, Lee started to open up the knife but before he could, the guard opened the cabin door and stepped inside. A young man named Ebu walked in. Ebu had been jealous of Lee's closeness with Ehsan and the privileges that came with that. There had been more than a few times that he had thrown a temper tantrum in front of the superiors and had been forced to do kitchen duty as a punishment. As Lee glared at him, Ebu knelt so he could glare into Lee's eyes.

"Well, well so you aren't the loyal faithful, perfect one after all," he sneered. It looks like pretty boy is no longer pretty either with that face. Someone set out to mess you up good. I wish it had been me. That probably hurts huh? Well it is nothing compared to what will happen to you in a few hours. I heard that they intend to make an example of you and make everyone watch. They want to make sure there are no other traitors in the camp."

Lee didn't say a word as he continued to glare back at Ebu while showing him no fear. Ebu began laughing and said "I wonder if you will be so brave when they begin torturing you for information. I've seen some of their torture techniques. Wow, they really know how to make a grown man cry. Should I share some of their techniques with you? I mean you should have something to look forward to, right?" Ebu laughed again at Lee's cold stare. "Well suit yourself. They will eventually kill you after they think they have all they can from you. Perhaps death will be quick at that point. After you are gone, Ehsan will finally recognize me and give me back the spot that should rightfully be mine before you came along and stole it from me," Ebu spat on Lee's face and stood up.

"I will not miss you. If you were not destined to die today, I would have killed you during one of our battles and made sure it looked like the enemy had done it."

"You really hate me that much?" Lee finally asked.

Ebu quickly dropped back down to Lee's level and grabbed his shirt front while he barred his teeth. He angrily answered, "I was the chosen one! I was the one who was supposed to be favored and given the best of everything in this camp and then you came along. Suddenly I didn't matter anymore! I worked hard to get where I was. You had no right to come in here and take away my position. So yes, I do hate you that much. I will smile as they kill you today," Ebu finished with a snide grin.

Lee had never had anyone show such hate for him before. He had put a lot of men away over the years and none of them had ever acted like this. He shrugged and turned his head away. He needed Ebu to leave if he was to escape and there was no use in wasting energy or time to convince him to be friends. Ebu looked at the gesture as cowardice, shoved Lee and then stood up and quickly left the cabin without a backward glance.

Lee took the opportunity to open the knife that Ehsan had left him and cut through the ropes that bound him. He knew he was running out of time if he was to do what Ehsan had instructed him to do. If he missed this opportunity, there likely would not be another one. After he was free, he felt his face to see if anything was broken. His nose hurt really badly but seemed to be okay as was his cheekbone. He was thankful for that much. He needed to get the guard to come into the cabin without alerting the rest of the camp. There wasn't much in the cabin but Lee spotted a little table with a lamp on it in the corner. He grabbed the lamp and then walked back to the cabin door and threw the lamp as hard as he could so that it smashed against the nearby wall. Almost immediately the guard from outside rushed in and was met with Lee's fist hitting him squarely in the mouth. The guard staggered but Lee grabbed him and pulled him inside before anyone could see or hear the disturbance and then hit him again as hard as he could. As the guard slunk to the ground, Lee grabbed his rifle and searched him quickly and was thrilled to feel a revolver along with a pocket full of ammo. He left the rifle behind as it would be easier to travel with the revolver.

Lee peeked outside and found that it was still dark and everyone seemed to be asleep. He knew that it was likely around 3 am and he needed to hurry if he was going to get out of the camp. Thankfully no one had heard the noise as he knocked the guard out. Lee made his way as quietly as he could to the edge of camp and was relieved when he saw the old blue truck that Ehsan had promised would be waiting for him. He quickly, but quietly made his way to it and asked "Going to town?" The code answer was followed immediately "Sure, hop in."

Lee climbed inside to discover a man who looked to be in his 50's and wearing blue coveralls. As soon as he was inside, the man handed him a blanket and told him to hide underneath until they were away from the camp. They rode in silence for about 30 minutes and then finally the man said "I think you can come up for air now son."

Lee took the blanket off and said "Thank you for helping me. I can't tell you how much I appreciate it."

"Well my friend Ehsan tells me that you are one of the good guys. We need to keep you good guys alive if we have any hope of defeating this group."

"Are you from this area?" Lee asked as he looked at the man who looked more American than anything else.

"Nah, I came here many years ago when I met my wife who had gone to the states to learn to be a doctor. She had grown up in Sri Lanka, but when she was only 24 years old her parents died suddenly from a virus that no one knew how to cure. She was not only devastated but she realized that the area really needed a doctor so that no one else had to bury a loved one. If there had been a doctor in the town and the necessary medicines, her parents would still be alive. It became her dream and her passion to become the first doctor in the area and help her community. It took a lot of work but she finally managed to convince Stanford University to let her be a part of their Foreign Country Relief Program. The US Government had only recently given certainly Universities funding for this program as a way to train people from poor communities in other countries to learn to be doctors. Stanford had jumped at the opportunity to have one of the programs because it made them look good and gave them plenty of free publicity since the Government paid for everything. She spent 8 years there as she earned her degree."

The man continued with a far off look in his eye, "We met one day at a farmer's market. At the time, she had been living in the states for just over 5 years and had never realized that there were markets like this in the city. She had told a fellow student about how she missed having fresh vegetables and that the ones in the grocery store were old and not worth the money. Her classmate was shocked that she didn't know about the farmer's market since it wasn't far from the school. She personally escorted her that day. I was a farmer from a small community outside of the city and I went weekly to that market to sell my vegetables. I'll never forget when I first saw her; she was so beautiful.I think it was love at first sight for me but she barely noticed me," he recalled as he chuckled at the memory. He continued "as I stood talking to her, I realized that her whole focus at that time was on her studies. I was terrified she would leave before I got up the nerve to ask her out so I kept her talking about Stanford. She was thrilled to share her experiences with someone and volunteered more than I expected. As she was talking, I blurted out 'will you go out with me tonight?' She apologized for leading me on and told me that she didn't have time to date. I wouldn't take no for an answer though and eventually I wore her down. I was so excited when she finally agreed that since she needed to eat, she would go out to dinner with me. We had a wonderful time that night and she even agreed to let me take her dancing. It was so magical."

Lee couldn't help but feel a little jealous of the story the man was telling him. It seemed impossible that such a story could be true as these types of stories only happened in the movies. He didn't interrupt the man as he continued while seemingly lost in his memories. "We soon discovered that we believed in a lot of the same things and we had both been lonely. It didn't take long before we were seeing each other every Friday night. After that we spent our weekends together. She would leave me usually on Sunday morning so she could go do her studies and homework and then she would return on Friday night. I asked her to marry me not more than a year later, but she told me that I would have to come to Sri Lanka with her. I agreed, but only if I could have a farm there. She told me that the community could always use another farm. So after she graduated, we got married in California so that my parents could be there. Then I tearfully said my goodbyes to them and we came here where she has practiced medicine for about 20 years. We aren't getting rich, but it makes her feel good that she has helped so many here that couldn't have afforded it otherwise. I miss my folks but we still talk on the phone a lot. We have traveled to see them a few times when things are quiet enough. That doesn't happen often these days though."

The man suddenly seemed to remember that Lee was in the truck with him. As he looked at him, he winced at how bad Lee's face looked. "She will be happy to meet you. If I know her, she will want to patch you up son. We have time though as Ehsan couldn't get you a flight out until late tonight. We have to be careful because they will be looking for you. They are not going to be happy when they realize you escaped."

"No, I know they won't be. They had big plans to make me an example. Will they figure out it was Ehsan that helped me?"

"I doubt it. He has done well to build himself a good reputation in the group. He can be fierce when he needs to be so he has them convinced that he is one of them."

Lee nodded as he had seen the respect that the other men had for him. The two men grew quiet until they reached an old farmhouse that sat on the edge of town. They both got out and as they headed to the farmer's porch, a petite, short woman with dark skin emerged from the front door. She immediately rushed over to Lee. "Oh my goodness, they did a bang up job on you, didn't they?" she asked without expecting an answer as she rushed him inside. She made him sit down as she tended to his beaten up face. In no time, she had put together a poultice that she made him hold to his cheek while she cleaned up his nose. He grimaced in pain a few times but refused to take any of the pain medication that she offered to him. After she had done all she could, she said "I'm Dr. Kamini but my friends call me Kami. What's your name?"

"I'm Lee. Thanks for fixing me up. I already feel better."

"Everyone just calls me Earl" The man in the blue coveralls said as he shook Lee's hand. "I told you my wife would take care of you. Now I suggest we all get a few hours of sleep. We'll have to leave around noon to get you to the airfield."

They had given Lee a cot in the corner and he did try to sleep, but his mind was racing. He hated leaving Ehsan here to fight this group on his own but at this point; Lee had no choice. He would be a wanted man and it would be a death sentence to stay here.

A few hours later, Earl and Kami got up and Kami prepared fish curry and mixed rice for them all to eat. After lunch, Kami used some dye to make Lee's hair dark brown and then used makeup to cover up his bruises the best she could. Unless someone really studied him, they couldn't tell that he was sporting some nasty black and blues across his face. Earl finished up the disguise by giving him some old farm clothes to wear.

"I'm sorry Lee, but I need to keep the gun here," Earl said as he pointed to the bulge in Lee's pants pocket. Lee nodded in agreement and handed it over. Lee hugged Kami and thanked her for all she had done as she blushed and smiled. She said "My pleasure Lee. Stay safe. If for some reason you ever come back, you better make sure you come to visit us, okay?"

"Yes Ma'am," Lee said as he reluctantly let her go. He hoped that no one would find out that they had helped him.

It was getting late so Earl reminded Lee that they needed to go. He hid Lee in the back of his truck under a bunch of vegetables and other things to sell in town and then they were on their way. Since they needed to travel on back roads to avoid the guards, it took most of the afternoon to reach the town where the airfield was. There was only one guard along the way and after Earl offered him a nip from his whiskey bottle, the young guard let him go without even searching the truck.

At the airfield, Earl handed Lee a passport and said "Ehsan knew you would need this." Earl then walked him to the ticket counter where he asked for the one way ticket to California that had been reserved for Lee. Ehsan had thought of everything since if anyone did trace him, they would not be able to trace him all the way back to D.C. if he stopped in CA first.

At the boarding gate, Earl made a big a scene that his only son was heading to the states and how much he would miss him. After hugging Lee dramatically, he finally let him go so that Lee could board the plane.

Everything had gone smoothly on the flight back. Once he reached San Diego, he contacted the agency from an outside phone booth and Billy arranged for him to fly home a few days later once they were sure no one had followed him. It had been a long time since he had allowed himself to think about Sri Lanka. He had always kept a bit of guilt inside of him that he had deserted Ehsan after the man saved his life. Now he could only hope he was still alive. Lee would have to ask him once again to put his life on the line. He wondered if he would be willing to do that a second time for someone he barely knew. Lee knew that he would find out soon enough as the pilot announced that the plane was within 15 minutes of the airport and would soon begin making its descent. Lee snapped himself to the present once again and began to prepare himself mentally for what he was about to face.

**TBC**


	4. Chapter 4 - The Arrival

**Chapter 4 – The Arrival**

Lee took a deep breath and then headed to the baggage claim. As he stood waiting for his bags to come around, a man came over and stood beside him.

"Hi Lee, it is nice to meet you. Billy has told me so much about you over the years."

"You must be Vinnie?" Lee asked as he turned to face the man to get a better look at him.

"The one and only. Billy described you perfectly."

"Do I want to know? No, I probably don't want to know," Lee chuckled just as his bags appeared. He grabbed them and said "Okay, I'm ready. Where are we going?"

"Well I figured after your long flight, you could use some rest so we have a place a short distance from here. Please follow me," Vinnie said as he began walking to the front door. As soon as they walked outside, a black car pulled up beside them. Vinnie opened the backseat door and motioned for Lee to get in. Vinnie got in after him and closed the door.

"Okay, it is safe to talk now," Vinnie said. "Billy tells me that you have dealt with the NRG before?"

"Yes, a few years ago I infiltrated them, but my cover was blown and I had to escape."

"Well your stories match," Vinnie said with a grin.

Lee chuckled again and asked "So do you know if Ehsan is still there?"

"Yes, he is. Does he know you?"

"Yes, he was the one who helped me to escape."

"Ehsan has changed a lot over the years. He has really become very hardened and seems to be the man in charge these days," Vinnie updated Lee.

"Is he no longer an agent?" Lee asked in disbelief.

"It is hard to tell. If he is still an agent, the Italians don't talk about it," Vinnie confided

"Well of course they can't talk about it without putting his life in danger. Do you think he was the one who was in charge of stealing these documents?" Lee wondered

"I'm afraid so," Vinnie confirmed his suspicions.

"Wow, I never thought he would turn against his country like that. Who is interested in the documents so far?" Lee questioned.

"I have heard that both Russia and Japan plan to bid on them," Vinnie responded.

"We can't afford for them to fall into either of their hands," Lee sighed as he swiped his hand through his hair. Was it possible that Ehsan had turned bad? It was a hard job being so far away from home _and_ away from his family. Maybe being gone all those years had caused Ehsan to become bitter so he had turned into a traitor. Lee hoped he could find out what happened and try to convince him to leave the group. It was definitely time for him to go home.

The car pulled up to an apartment building and Vinnie got out while holding the door open for Lee. The driver of the car came and grabbed Lee's bags for him. The three of them headed inside and walked to the elevator. After the driver hit the 5 button, the elevator sped to the 5th floor and the doors opened. The driver then led them to Room 513 and unlocked the door. They all went inside and the driver closed the door. After checking for bugs, Vinnie suggested that Lee sit down at the kitchen table.

"So what is the plan?" Lee asked.

Vinnie sat down across from Lee and said, "We leave tomorrow for the town near the camp. I have a man there who has been keeping track of Ehsan and the others who come to the town to frequent the night club there. Are you familiar with it?" Vinnie asked.

"There used to be a bar. Would it be the same place?"

"Yes, they changed it into a nightclub a year ago. The men like to spend time there to have some female entertainment. The word is that Ehsan spends a lot of his nights there and has a female that he visits regularly."

"Oh? Do we know who she is?"

"Yes, her name is Francesca Vestri."

"She's Italian?" Lee asked.

"Yes, but she is not agency. We already checked her out. She came here from Italy about 6 months ago as a tourist but soon ran out of money. Her father was murdered about a year ago. They never found out who did it. Her Mother died of cancer a few years before that so there weren't many options for her. She got a job at the nightclub as one of the ladies of the evening. It didn't take long for Ehsan to claim her as his though."

"Do you think she knows who Ehsan is?"

"We aren't sure. It is hard to get close to her as Ehsan doesn't allow it."

"Interesting. I obviously need to talk to her."

"I thought you might, but Lee it will be very dangerous. Ehsan protects her and doesn't allow other men to be near her. He won't take kindly to a strange man wanting to see her," Vinnie warned. "We will get some sleep now, but in the morning, I have some things to help disguise you. We can't take the chance of you being recognized. It has been several years since you were here, but you haven't changed a lot and these people tend not to forget their enemies."

Lee yawned as he realized that he didn't sleep at all on the plane. "Yes, sleep would be good right now." Vinnie pointed to a room on the left and said, "I thought you might like to sleep in a bed. I hope you find it comfortable enough."

"I'm sure I will. I think a rock would be comfortable enough right now as long as it is quiet." Lee got up and headed into the room. "Thanks for your help Vinnie."

"Are you kidding? If I don't make sure you come home in one piece, Billy Melrose will have my hide. We're in this together Lee. We'll get those documents back."

Lee nodded as he closed the door. He barely got the covers pulled back and climbed into bed before he was sound asleep. If he was going to deal with the NRG again, he definitely needed his rest.

**TBC**


	5. Chapter 5 - Reunion of Sorts

**Chapter 5**

Lee awoke with the sun streaming onto his face. He could hear voices in the other room. The smell of coffee wafted under the door and helped to convince him to get up. He quickly changed his clothes and headed out to meet the day.

"Ah, Good. You are awake," Vinnie said as Lee emerged from the bedroom. "Come, get some breakfast and then Simon will work on your disguise."

"I don't eat breakfast so I'm ready now," Lee responded.

Simon opened a bag that was on the kitchen table and removed a fake beard along with a moustache, wig and makeup. Lee sat down at the table and Simon went to work on him. He soon looked like someone from the 70's with long braided hair, a scruffy looking beard and a moustache. When they held up a mirror, Lee barely recognized himself.

"So your story will be that you came to Sri Lanka because you heard that there were lots of beautiful ladies here and since you just came from a bad relationship, you were just looking for some fun."

Lee smiled and said, "I just wish I had time for some of those beautiful women."

Vinnie chuckled and said, "Yeah, Billy told me that you are quite the ladies man so I figured this was a good back story for you. I don't think you should go by the name Lee though as that connects you back to before. So we created identification for you in the name of Brad Martin." Vinnie handed the id cards to Lee.

"Great idea," Lee said as he crossed the room and put his own ids into his luggage.

"So Lee, we will not be able to go inside the nightclub with you. That would be too obvious. I do have a man inside who will keep watch over things and let us know if you look like you are in trouble. We will be waiting down the block in our car though."

"Yeah, that sounds like the best thing to do. Hopefully Francesca will talk to me."

"Let's go," Vinnie said and they left the room and headed for the elevator. After a quick elevator ride, they all soon found themselves back on the 1st floor and made their way to the car.

As they neared the town, the old memories surfaced again for Lee of the times he had traveled there with Ehsan. A lot of the buildings had changed either by not being maintained or by being completely renovated. When they pulled up to the old bar, Lee couldn't believe the difference in it. It now displayed neon lights and showed half dressed women painted on the side of the building. Lee got out and walked inside. The air inside was full of cigarette smoke so it took a moment for him to be able to see around the room. He finally located the bartender and walked over to him. He sat down on a barstool and asked him for a scotch.

"Just what I like; a man who isn't afraid to drink before noon," the bartender said with a smile as he handed Lee his drink. Lee responded back "Is there ever a time that you shouldn't drink?" This comment was met with chuckles by the bartender. Lee gulped the drink and sat the glass back down on the bar.

"I'm here for a little action. I hear that you have one of the best spots in town to have some fun with the ladies," Lee said in a quiet voice to the barkeep.

"We sure do. We have all kinds of beautiful ladies. What do you prefer? We can get you a blonde, brunette, redhead, or maybe a black haired lady?"

"Actually I was told about a beautiful lady by the name of Francesca. Would she be around?" Lee asked.

The bartender's face fell and he said "No, you don't want Francesca."

Lee looked disappointed and said "Are the stories about her not true?"

"It depends on which stories. You should know that she is the main attraction for the head of a local terrorist group. No one else ever dares to ask for her for fear of the wrath of Ehsan."

"Ehsan? Well I don't care about Ehsan. I just want a wild ride and I heard that Francesca gives one of the best if you know what I mean. So tell me, which one is she?" Lee asked as he looked around the room.

"Trust me friend, you should pick someone else. It could mean life or death for you."

"I'm willing to take my chances."

"Okay, don't tell me I didn't warn you. She's over there," the bartender pointed to a beautiful woman with long black hair. She was sitting by herself while drinking what appeared to be a cup of coffee and reading a newspaper. Lee smiled and winked at the bartender before walking over to the woman.

He stood in front of her and waited for her to acknowledge his presence. She pretended he wasn't there for nearly a minute until he cleared his throat for the third time. She finally slowly lifted her head up from reading the newspaper. As she looked up at him, she growled irritably, "What do you want?"

"I need to talk to you. Can we go upstairs to your room where it is quiet and private?"

"Oh is that a way to get me to take you to bed? Look, I don't know if anyone told you or not, but I'm not available. The man who visits me would rather kill you and then ask questions later. I suggest you find someone else."

Lee leaned over so only Francesca could hear him and said quietly, "I know Ehsan and I came here to talk to you. Please? It is very important."

Hearing Lee call Ehsan by name made Francesca look at him to see if she could tell if he was being honest or not. She finally shrugged and agreed to go upstairs with him. After her bedroom door was shut, Lee sat down in a dining room chair and motioned that she should sit across from him. She refused and continued to stand while staring at him. "You are taking your life in your own hands right now so you better start talking," she suggested.

"I met Ehsan several years ago. He helped me out of a bad situation. I need his help again, but I'm not sure if the rumors are true or not."

"What rumors are those?" Francesca asked.

"That he has become hardened and mean and has left his past behind forever," Lee said generically.

Francesca laughed and said, "If you have seen and had to deal with all that Ehsan has; you would turn mean too. He is still a good man deep down though."

"Do you love him? Lee asked.

"Love him?" Francesca asked and then began laughing. "No, I don't love him. There is no love in this business."

Lee sighed as this was not going the way he had hoped. "Will you see him tonight?"

"Oh I think I will be seeing him long before tonight. As soon as you took me upstairs, someone called him. He will be here shortly. So whatever you want, you better hurry up and ask and get out of here before you never see daylight again. Ehsan doesn't take kindly to other men touching his woman as he calls me."

Lee smiled as something was finally going his way. He needed Ehsan to show up. The problem was whether or not Ehsan would remember him. Was he still the good guy that Lee remembered, or had he become a traitor to his country? The answer to those questions would dictate whether Lee would survive this meeting.

"Okay, I guess we wait then," Lee said as he put his hands behind his head and leaned back in the uncomfortable chair.

"Suit yourself. It's your life not mine," Francesca warned a final time.

It took nearly 30 minutes, but then suddenly there was an explosion on the stairs as heavy footsteps were heard running quickly up them. The bedroom door suddenly burst open and there stood Ehsan. Lee couldn't help but notice how much he had aged since he last saw him about 3 years ago. His hair had a salt and pepper look and his face bore many scars from unknown battles, but it was still the same Ehsan.

"What the hell is going on in here and who the hell gave you a right to touch my woman?" Ehsan bellowed as he glared at Lee. Ehsan's face was contorted with anger and he held a revolver in his right hand. "No one touches my girl but me. I sure hope you are prepared to die today."

Lee sat staring at the gun. Maybe Ehsan had really flipped to the other side. Maybe Lee should have found a different way to get the documents back. His plan was definitely not working out very well. Suddenly Ehsan clicked the hammer on the gun and began to aim it.

**TBC**


	6. Chapter 6 - I Have a Plan

**Chapter 6 – I Have a Plan**

"Any final words?" Ehsan sneered at Lee.

"Going to town?" Lee asked him.

"What?" Ehsan asked with some uncertainty.

"Going to town?" Lee offered again.

Ehsan lowered the gun a little and peered closer at Lee. "Sure, hop in." He answered a little hesitantly. "Lee? Is that you?"

"It's me alright."

"Oh my God. I almost killed you. What are you doing here? I never thought I would see you again." Ehsan said excitedly as he tried to keep his voice down. He quickly slammed the bedroom door and then wrapped Lee in a huge bear hug. The two men hugged for nearly a minute as they thumped each other on the back. When they finally pulled apart, Ehsan stood staring at him. "You got old!" He proclaimed. Lee smiled and said "You look older than me, my friend."

"Yeah, well this place will do it to you." Ehsan agreed.

"Is there a place to go where we can talk safely?" Lee asked.

"Yes**, **but we will need to make it look like I am taking you somewhere to kill you."

"Great, death before noon. That was always a goal of mine," Lee said with a smile. Ehsan chuckled softly and then turned to Francesca and said quietly**,** "This is an old friend of mine. He is an American agent. You need to come too so you know what is going on, okay? Can you make things look convincing?"

"Of course." Francesca said with a smile. She then made sure Ehsan had his gun pointed at Lee and opened the door. They all walked out into the hallway.

"I must come too Ehsan. After what he did to me, I have a right to watch him die. You simply must take me with you. Please take me with you Ehsan." Francesca pleaded loudly as they began walking down the hallway.

"It is never fun to watch a man die especially one who begs for his life." Ehsan told her. "Are you sure you want to witness this?"

"Oh yes, please. In fact, I should be the one who kills him. It will give me great pleasure," She insisted.

"Come on, it was just sex. You enjoyed it as much as I did." Lee bragged as Ehsan smacked him in the head with the gun. Lee winced as he wasn't expecting that, but realized it was a good way to make the scene look convincing. He immediately put on a good act by falling to the floor**,** and grimacing in pain. He put his hand to his head and realized that Ehsan had known just had to hit him so it would make his head bleed, but not cause any real damage.

"Get up!" Ehsan growled as he yanked Lee to his feet and then shoved him to the stairs. Ehsan kept pushing Lee all the way down the stairs as Lee pretended to resist. He pushed the gun harder into Lee's back as they reached the first floor and then shoved him outside so hard that he fell. "GET UP!" Ehsan demanded as Lee slowly got back up while still holding his head.

"Over there!" Ehsan motioned to a black car that was parked just outside the front door. Ehsan shoved Lee to the car and pushed him against it so he could watch him. He knocked on the front passenger window and the driver rolled down the window. Ehsan informed the driver,"I'm going alone on this one. I'll meet you back at the camp later." The driver reluctantly got out of the car as he knew it would be dangerous for him to argue with Ehsan. He handed over the keys as he glared at Lee.

"You drive so I can watch him," Ehsan ordered Francesca**. **He opened the door and pushed Lee into the back seat and climbed in after him.

After they were all in the car, Ehsan quickly did a bug check as they drove off. Lee looked behind them and noticed a man had come out of the night club**. **A car was pulling up to pick him up. He realized immediately it was Vinnie and his men. Lee knew he didn't need them tagging along.

"The men who helped bring me here are tailing us," Lee informed them. "I don't think it is necessary for them to come with us and it would be safer if they didn't. So, if you have the opportunity to lose them, I'm okay with that."

"Consider it done. Francesca is excellent at getting rid of tails, aren't you?" Eshan said with obvious pride.

"Yes, I see them now. It should be easy enough to lose them." she said as she began to weave in and out of traffic. Lee couldn't help but be impressed with her driving skills.

"Wow, you sure know how to hit!" Lee said as he continued to rub his head.

"Sorry Lee, it is not the first time I have had to pretend to hurt someone and make it look convincing so I could save their lives. Did I hurt you badly?"

"Nah, the bleeding seems to have stopped. I will likely have a headache tomorrow though**,**" Lee said with a chuckle.

Ehsan changed the subject as he put his hand on Lee's fake facial hair and said**,** "That is quite a disguise you have. Boy, I didn't recognize you at all. You know that you won't be able to use it again now that we had to fake your death. Where in the world did you get that get up anyway?"

"Do you like it? I think it is my new look," Lee answered as he grinned at his friend. Then Lee turned serious as he asked, "What in the world is happening here? I heard that you have taken control of the group and that you turned traitor. Are you no longer working for the agency? Did you become that bitter?"

"That's great! All of my hard work has paid off. Too many people were getting close to finding out that I was agency so I had to change things. They think I killed the original heads of the NRG, but actually I had them taken from the camp one night. I staged a scene that looked like I murdered them in their sleep. They are in an Italian prison right now where very few know about them. I have had to kill a few people along the way, but you know as an agent, we always have that possibility."

"Of course. So you aren't a traitor then?"

Ehsan chuckled and said**,** "No**,** far from it."

"So are you agency too Francesca? My sources couldn't find much information on you**. **I had no idea you were a part of all of this."

"Good!" Ehsan exclaimed with a smile and then explained,"Francesca is actually not really agency. She had originally come here on vacation. We had never met. I was in trouble and frantically looking for someone to help me. That's when I saw her come off the plane. There was something about her that convinced me I could trust her."

Francesca continued the story of their first meeting. "Yes, he kind of pulled me into his arms and pretended like we were old lovers since his men were nearby. He whispered in my ear that he needed my help. I should have been scared of him, but I looked into his eyes and saw only kindness there. I whispered back asking him what he needed me to do." Francesca said with a chuckle, "The next thing I knew, I'm involved with this whole terrorist organization, and I'm working for the Italian agency. Since I'm really a civilian, no one has been able to connect me to the agency. Ehsan can pass information on to me, and I can get it back to my appointed contacts who then relay it back to the Italian Agency."

"That day I had gone into the airport to pick up the documents, I told my men to stay outside. They disobeyed me and followed me in anyway. Unfortunately, I didn't realize it at first. When my contact came off the plane, he slipped me an attaché case that had the documents. At that same moment, I saw Ebu come sauntering in from a different exit. I panicked and that's when I saw her. She had the most trusting eyes and I just hoped she would play along with me. So, I kissed her," Ehsan felt he needed to explain further.

"Wait? So are we talking about the documents that were reported stolen from the Italian Government recently? That actually happened 6 months ago?" Lee asked incredulously.

"Yes, they were taken and brought here because my boss felt that it was important that I have the real ones in case anyone wanted to see them for proof. I'm afraid we didn't make contingency plans if something went wrong with the hand off. It was my lucky day that I saw Francesca get off the plane and took a chance on her."

Ehsan continued**.** "We waited for awhile to make sure it wasn't announced by anyone that the documents were here**. **Once we felt it was safe, we staged a robbery so that we could leak the word to the Media and make sure all the key players knew. Everyone bought the story perfectly including your agency. One of my contacts here slipped Francesca the fake ones during one of her meetings with him**, **and she gave them to me so I could show the men back at camp. They had no idea they weren't real**,** and they made sure the word got out even further that I indeed did have them."

Ehsan smiled again at the memory of how easy it was to fool Ebu who volunteered to take charge of setting up an auction.

Ehsan quickly continued on. "Meanwhile Francesca has the real ones in a safe place where even I don't know where they are just in case I'm captured and tortured. Francesca has been invaluable during this time**.** I knew I needed her to stick around to help me finish this fiasco. So I got her a job at the Nightclub. Imade it clear that she was my girl**, **and no one else was to touch her. It has kept her safe all this time since I'm the big, bad leader of NRG. Then today, I heard some guy had taken her to her room**,** and my heart sunk because I thought that Ebu had figured out the truth. I was worried that I was walking into a trap. I never expected it to be you Lee."

"Sorry! I knew I had to lure you away from the camp so we could talk. I didn't realize that you would come so easily over a woman, "Lee said with a grin. "I planned to charm Francesca and win her over. She immediately put me right in my place though. Everyone kept warning me that it was a death sentence for me to be with her as you would be angry. In the end, I decided to just wait for you to come save her. I have to tell you that I'm still blown away by the news of the documents. So you are going to sell fake documents to the highest bidder? Aren't you worried that they will realize that they are fake?"

"First off the fake ones look real**. **Someone would really have to know what they should look like before they realized they were fake," Eshan explained.

"Lee, there is something else you should know. I'm actually a double agent. I also work for the Russians. I mean I don't really work for them, but they think I do**. **Istole these documents to keep them happy and keep them convinced that I'm one of them."

Lee shook his head in disbelief. This whole thing was becoming crazier by the minute. "So what if Japan outbids the Russians for the documents?"

"Of course no one will know if that happens. This is my last assignment here Lee. After this**,** I get to go home."

"What happens to the NRG after that?" Lee asked.

"Ah, well you know me. I always have a plan. So this time the plan is to lead them to believe that Ebu tricked them. He volunteered for this assignment,and everyone knows that. Ebu is such an angry man. If I play my cards right, he will get into a huge fight with the Russians. I want them to think that he double crossed them. It could mean that they help me end the NRG if all goes according to my plans. Meanwhile, Francesca and I will be on a plane back to Italy."

"Wow!" Lee said as he swiped his hand through his hair.

"I lost them." Francesca proclaimed smugly as she pulled onto a side road so they could continue talking. "Great job Francesca!" Ehsan said proudly.

Lee continued after nodding his head in agreement that she had done a great job. "I'm not surprised about Ebu. The man truly hates me. I thought he was going to kill me just after you left me that night. He gleefully explained to me that the NRG would torture me in the morning before they killed me. He made sure I knew that he intended to be a happy spectacular and would enjoy watching me die."

"Oh, I knew he had it out for you. After we found out you were missing, he went on a one man mission to find you. He was determined to bring you back so he could kill you himself. He was really mad that he didn't do it that night. Be careful Lee, he is truly insane."

"The Italian Government asked my agency to help return the documents,"Lee informed them.

"Well that might not be a bad thing. If something should happen to one or both of us, we want to make sure the documents do get back to Italy. Do you still want to help us?" Eshan asked.

"Of course!" Lee answered. "What do you want me to do?"

"Well you know me Lee. I always have a plan. Let me explain it to you."

**TBC**


	7. Chapter 7 - Old Friends

**Chapter 7 – Old Friends**

Now that they had a plan, Ehsan knew that Lee needed to have his head tended to and he knew exactly the person to do it.

"Lee, I think you need a doctor for the wound on your head."

"Are you telling me that Earl and Kami are still alive?" Lee asked incredulously.

"They sure are and I'd be willing to bet they would be thrilled to see you again**,**" Ehsan answered.

"I would love to see them too. I promised Kami that if I ever returned, I would make sure I stopped in to see them."

"Well**,** I'm thinking that we might ask them if you can stay there a few days until we head for the airport."

"Okay, if they think it is safe, I'm okay with that."

"Good. I know they have a secret room for when they need to hide people. I'm sure you can stay there."

"They are good people. How did you meet them anyway?" Lee asked.

"Oh well**, **now that is a story in itself. Let's see, it was 1979 and I had only recently become involved with the NRG and really hated how many civilians they were hurting and killing almost daily. One day, after an especially harsh raid where they had killed several families that they believed were selling our secrets to the Sri Lankan Government**,** they orphaned a young girl. It was extremely heartbreaking as she was only about 10 at the time. It was decided that we wouldn't leave her behind as there were many ways they could use her to their benefit. They told me to carry her to the jeep and not to let her out of my sight. We drove back to camp while I held her in my arms. I knew that I had to try to get her away from them. She trembled in my arms, but didn't fight me. When we got back to the camp, I was instructed to bring her to one of the cabins and stand guard over her."

Ehsan wiped away tears at the memory of it while trying to keep himself together enough so he could finish the story.

After a moment, he found that his voice was strong enough to continue his story**. **"I walked her into the cabin and turned down the bed. I told her that I was sorry for everything that had happened to her**,** but that I was going to try to help her escape and asked her to trust me. She looked at me with her beautiful trusting brown eyes and nodded yes. I gave her a quick hug and told her I would be standing guard outside her door while she got some sleep. I needed to come up with a way to get her out without calling suspicion to me. I was really at a brick wall for an idea until I remembered about the pills that had just recently arrived for us to try. According to the letter we got, you could take a pill if you needed to fake your death and it would make it seem like you were dead for about 2 hours. Then slowly the drug releases its hold on you**, **and you wake up like you had just been sleeping. I hated using them on a child**,** but several of the men had been used as guinea pigs**,** and they had worked fine. I decided that if I broke one in half that it might make it safe to give to her. I figured the worst it would probably do is make her sleep for several more hours than the men because of her small size. After making sure the coast was clear, I let myself into the medicine hut, picked the lock on the cabinet and took one of the pills."

Ehsan let out a sigh before continuing. "I went into her cabin and found her still trying to cry herself to sleep. I sat down on the bed with her and told her that I had something that would help her feel drowsy and she agreed to take it. After swallowing it down with the glass of water I offered her; I waited. It didn't take long before she slumped over and really did appear to be dead. It was scary to see her like that,but I knew I had to act fast. I went outside the cabin and called over one of my superiors to tell them that the girl was dead. I explained that I had heard her cry out, and when I went into the cabin to check on her, she had been holding her chest like she was having a heart attack. I told them that before I could get help, she had died. He was extremely angry that she had died since he wouldn't be able to make any money on her. He spat on her face and told me to get rid of her. After he left the room, I wiped off her face, wrapped her in a blanket, put her limp body over my shoulder and carried her to one of the jeeps. I wasn't sure where I was going**,** but I knew I only had a few hours to figure it out before it would be questioned why it took me so long to get rid of her body. So I just began driving and hoped an idea would come to me. Thankfully, I saw Dr. Kami's MD sign posted on the edge of their driveway. I decided to take a chance and pulled up to their home. Earl met me at the front door after I banged on it several times. When he saw I had a child, he yelled for Kami. She never asked questions**,** but immediately took the child into the other room to examine her. She was still affected by the drug so I followed Kami and told her and Earl all that had happened in the past 24 hours. There was a very light heartbeat that could be detected with the stethoscope and she was breathing; though you could barely tell. Kami tucked some blankets around her and we closed the door so she could sleep."

By this time, Francesca was as emotionally involved in the story as Lee and blurted out "What happened?" when Ehsan paused to gather himself.

"Well**,** I told them my part in the NRG and who I really was. I asked them if they could help me. Of course they both didn't hesitate and said they would get in touch with some contacts that Kami had in the American Government for help. I couldn't stay any longer for fear that my absence would draw suspicion so I told them I had to leave**,** but would return in a few days to check on the girl and to see if they had any luck. Fortunately**,** when I returned to camp, no one seemed to have noticed or cared that I was missing. I walked to my cabin and went to bed. I didn't sleep that whole night worrying about that little girl though. The next day, they mentioned needing supplies in town**,** and I offered to go. I rushed back to Earl and Kami's house and when they let me in, I found the little girl sitting on the couch reading one of Dr. Kami's medical books. She smiled when she saw me and ran into my arms. It turned out that the drug had kept her asleep for the entire night but when she woke up, she had no ill effects from it."

Ehsan wiped the last of the tears from his eyes and continued**,** "I couldn't have been happier. A few weeks later, Kami told me that her contact had located an aunt and uncle living in Pennsylvania who agreed to take her in. The last I heard she had adjusted okay and was doing well in school. Kami does her best to stay in touch with her family and says that the girl is determined to become a Doctor just like her friend back in Sri Lanka. One day I hope to visit her and share with her what I know about her parents who were very brave people."

"I'm sure she would appreciate that." Lee said in a comforting voice. Meanwhile he could tell that Francesca was not aware of this storyas he noticed her looking at Ehsan with nothing but admiration.

"Anyway, it was the first time I brought them someone that the group hurt, but it definitely was not the last time. They got used to me smuggling people to them to fix up physically or emotionally, and they have never turned anyone away. I can't tell you the amount of people that they have managed get out of this area behind the NRG's back."

"Wow, aren't they worried that they will be caught and punished by the group if somehow the NRG finds out?"

"They have both told me that at their age, they do not fear death. They cannot sit by and let people die because of the terrorists in this country**, **and they will continue to do what they can to save them. I try my best to make sure no one sees where I go or connects me to them in anyway. So far, they have been left alone."

"Well let's hope it stays that way."

"Francesca, do you want me to drive?" Ehsan suddenly asked her. "We should get going before people begin to question where we are."

"Sure, if you want to." Francesca answered. Francesca slid over into the passenger seat and Ehsan got out of the car and got into the driver's seat. He drove a short distance to a dirt back road. Lee was curious as to where he was going as he pulled into a thicket about a mile down the road. "Come on, we need a different car to go there." Ehsan said as he got out of the car and walked over to what appeared to be a brush pile. Soon, with the help of the other two, they moved the brush to expose a tan sedan. They then used the brush to cover up the car they arrived in and headed out.

As they pulled into the driveway that led to the farmhouse**,** Lee wondered if they would remember him. It had been a few years and now that Lee knew that he wasn't the only one that Ehsan had brought to them, maybe they would have forgotten him.

Earl appeared as the car pulled up in front of the farmer's porch. He was smiling as he realized it was Ehsan that was driving.

"Let me guess, is this that girl you told me about?" Earl asked as he whistled. "You are beautiful, young lady. How did you get hooked up with the likes of him?" He then flashed a huge smile at Francesca and winked at her to let her know he was teasing. Ehsan glared at him, but he couldn't pretend to be angry for long as he swooped Earl into a huge bear hug.

"Come on**.** Kami will be mad if I keep you all to myself. It isn't safe staying out in the open too long anyway," Earl said as he led the way while the rest followed. As they entered the house, Kami also made a big deal over Francesca**, **and then she turned her attention to Lee.

"So who do we have here?" she asked Ehsan.

"Well I hope you don't mind**,** but I have someone that I need you to hide for a few days until it is safe. Do you mind?" Ehsan asked.

"Of course not. Does he speak?" Earl asked.

"Yeah, I speak." Lee said with a grin as he realized that his disguise had worked again. "The last time you saw me, I had a bloody nose instead of a bloody head." Since they had the curtains closed, the living room was pretty dark so the dried blood on Lee's black wig hadn't been obvious. As soon as there was a mention of blood, Kami heard only those words and flew into action. She went to touch his head and the wig moved which startled her and she jumped.

Lee smiled and said**, **"Let me help you." He then removed the wig. Kami was so intent on administering to the wound that she didn't wonder why he was wearing a wig to cover his straw colored blood**i**ed hair. She simply made him sit down and began treating his wound. "Well at least it isn't that bad. It looks like someone hit you in a spot just to make you bleed without any real damage. You are a very lucky man."

"Luck nothing; I'm just skilled at making sure it looks convincing!" Ehsan said as he chuckled.

"You did that?" Kami asked with her mouth open in shock.

"Yup I did. I had to save his hide again. Don't you recognize him?" Ehsan asked playfully.

Now that Kami had addressed the wound, she looked into Lee's eyes for a few seconds and then exclaimed**,** "LEE? Is that you?"

Lee quickly pulled off the disguise**,** and Kami flew into his arms. "I sure didn't ever expect to see you again," Kami exclaimed as Earl came over to hug him too.

"Well**,** word was that Ehsan had turned traitor so I came to knock some sense into him. Luckily**,** I found out that I didn't have to," Lee said.

Kami insisted they all stay for dinner and soon spooned out bowls of the Chicken Mulligatawny Soup that she had simmering on the stove. As they all sat down to eat their soup; talk soon returned to the NRG and how things were coming to a head. Ehsan told Kami and Earl again about his concern for their safety,but Earl assured him that they would be okay. After dinner, Francesca insisted on helping clean up and washed the dishes while everyone else talked. Ehsan filled in Kami and Earl about the plans**,** and how it was important to keep Lee safe once again until they could all flee to the airport. They both looked at Lee with love in their eyes as they promised to help keep him safe. Earl got up and went to a closet off the dining room and came back with a box. He sat it in front of Lee who gave him a curious look.

"Go ahead and open it," Earl said. Lee slowly opened the box like something was going to jump out at him**. **Inside was the revolver that he had stolen from the guard the night he had escaped. "I figure this way you can help keep yourself safe," Earl said with a smile.

"Sounds good to me," Lee said as he put the gun into his front pocket. "Well I guess Francesca and I better get back to town if we want to keep this believable," Ehsan said reluctantly. Francesca came out of the kitchen as she had just finished washing the dishes and wiping down the countertops. "It has been so nice to meet you both," Francesca said to all of them as they got ready to leave. "It was a pleasure to finally meet you as well," echoed Kami and Earl. Kami gave her a huge hug as she whispered into Francesca's ear "Keep him safe." As they withdrew from the hug, Francesca whispered back "I'll try." They checked to make sure the coast was clear as they hurried out to the car. They would have to go retrieve the other car to go back to town so they needed to get going. Lee sighed as he watched them go. He hated that he couldn't help Ehsan. Surely, there must be some way for him to help out. He just needed to figure out what that was. TBC 


	8. Chapter 8 - What Do You Mean?

**Chapter 8 – What do you Mean?**

"What do you mean you lost him?" Billy Melrose erupted so loudly into the phone that the people outside his office stopped what they were doing and looked in his office to see what the problem was. When they realized that he wasn't yelling at anyone present, they went back to whatever it was that they had been doing.

"How do you lose a man you are supposed to be tailing? Are you not professionals? Vinnie, I have known you a long time. Never in all of that time have you told me that you lost someone you were tailing. I know that Lee Stetson is a good driver**,** but I expected you to be just as good."

There was silence as Billy listened to Vinnie on the other end.

Suddenly Billy bellowed into the phone again "What do you mean it was a woman driving? You lost the car that was being driven by a woman? Is she an agent? _She's a lady of the night? _Oh boy, you better find him and you better find him fast! The next phone call I get from you had better be good news." Billy slammed the phone down and stood up. He crossed the room and opened his office door and bellowed**,** "Francine, in my office, NOW!"

Francine quickly rushed to Billy's office while her co-workers smiled a sympathetic look at her. Whatever had riled him up was likely going to make things bad for Francine now.

As Francine entered his office, Billy told her to close the door and to take a seat.

"Lee is missing. Apparently my man in Sri Lanka wasn't capable enough to tail him and the worse thing was that he lost him while a woman was driving."

"Why is that the worse thing?" Francine asked. "I've been known to lose several tails in my day."

Billy sighed when he realized how sexist his comment had seemed. "I know you have, but this woman was not a highly trained professional like you." Billy said with a smile and the hope that he smoothed things over. "She works at a bar as part of the nightly entertainment."

"Oh**,**" Francine said as understanding dawned on her.

"Anyway, is there any word when that special delivery will be arriving?"

"I'm told that it should be here in just a few more days. I should have the official arrival date tomorrow."

"Okay, let me know when you find out. I can only hope that Lee is okay, but I also hope that we can take care of this package before he returns."

"Right!" Francine said as she got up and headed out of Billy's office.

As she closed his door, Billy watched her go and made a mental note that he would have to call Amanda tomorrow after they found out the date.

**TBC**


	9. Chapter 9 - When the Cat is Away

**Chapter 9 – When the Cat is Away**

"What do you mean he just drove away without you?" Ebu bellowed at Ehsan's driver.

"Sir, I didn't have a choice. He told me to get out of the car and give him the keys because he was going alone. He had the guy who screwed with his girl and he was really mad so he was going to go take care of him. I didn't think I …."

Ebu sprang from his chair and shoved the driver against the wall, while glaring in his eyes. "I don't give a damn what you think! I told you to stick to him like glue. I want to know where he goes when he sneaks off like he does."

"Sir, don't you think he is just out at the Nightclub?"

Ebu sneered at the driver and mimicked him in a sarcastic voice "Don't you think he is just out at the Nightclub? NO, I don't think he is. I think he uses that as a cover story."

"I'm sorry I let you down Sir."

"Yeah, well if you do it again, it will be the last time. Now get out of my face," Ebu growled as he shoved him toward the door and sat down at his desk.

As he became lost in thought, he didn't notice that his fingers on his right hand were drumming on his knee. This would soon be all over; Ebu would soon dispose of the famous Ehsan. Then he, Ebu, would be the new leader. This auction was going to help him accomplish that goal because he would make it look like the Russians assassinated Ehsan. No one would suspect Ebu by the time he got done planting the fake evidence. The real beauty of the whole thing was that Ebu would not only be rid of Ehsan, but he would be a very wealthy man. He had waited a long time to take over his rightful spot as leader. He had it all planned out when suddenly one night, Ehsan had gone on a rampage and killed all of the original leaders. Ebu never thought he had it in him as he always seemed too soft. Ebu had seen the scene himself though and it was really bad. So he had bided his time and pretended to be a loyal follower.

The auction was scheduled in 2 days. Ebu needed to remain patient. He had come too far to blow things now. His thoughts turned back to the stupid driver losing him. Francesca had been with Ehsan when he drove off to kill the man who harmed her. Ebu couldn't help but smile as he decided that as soon as Ehsan was gone; Francesca would be all his. He was sure she wouldn't mind though as she would be with a real man then. Ebu just needed to be patient. It was only 2 more days to wait.

**TBC**


	10. Chapter 10 - Heart To Heart

**Chapter 10 – Heart to Heart**

"Are you ever going to stop pacing Son?" Earl questioned as he watched Lee wear a path in his living room carpet.

"What?" Lee asked as he realized that Earl was talking to him.

"Well**, **I have been watching you wear a hole in my living room rug all morning. Did you get any sleep last night or is there already a hole in my spare bedroom floor?" Earl half heartedly teased.

"I'm sorry. I am just really worried about Ehsan and**..."**

"And you wish you could be there to help him," Earl finished for him before he could.

"Yeah. The auction is tomorrow."

"I know. He promised to sneak over here this afternoon before he goes to town so we could make the final arrangements. After all, we need to make sure we can get all of you safely out of here when the time is right. Maybe I will have some carpet left if we do," Earl continued to tease.

Lee stopped pacing and swiped his hand through his hair as he said "I'm sorry Earl. I'm just not used to not being involved. I hate not being there to help him. There must be something I can do. I deserted him when I left the first time and I hate that I can't figure out a way to help him now." Lee flopped down into a seat at the kitchen table as Earl put a cup of steaming coffee in front of him.

Earl put his hand comfortingly on top of Lee's. "Son," Earl began in a fatherly tone, "he understood why you needed to leave the first time. You need to stop feeling guilty about it. There was nothing you could have done back then. Let's wait and see if he thinks you can help him tomorrow, okay?"

Lee released a big sigh of acknowledgment and said, "Yeah. I'm just glad he managed to survive all these years. How did you know I felt guilty about leaving him?"

"Son, it is all over your face. You and Ehsan are a lot alike. You may work for different governments, but you could be brothers. I think at this point, neither of you would leave the other behind," Earl concluded.

"Where's Kami?" Lee asked as he suddenly realized he hadn't seen her and needed to change the subject.

"She'll be back shortly. She had to go fetch something from town."

Earl now joined Lee at the table with his own cup of coffee after putting some dishes away. Thoughtfully, Earl stated, "You know when I met Kami and moved back here, I wasn't sure if I would like being so far away from home. It was hard at first. I missed my family terribly. Then, as we helped more and more people, I realized this was what we were meant to do. I still miss my family, but we have helped a lot of nice people who needed us. I wouldn't want to be anywhere else. Besides, Kami is my whole world. I couldn't imagine not having her in it."

"Yeah, you both seem really happy considering all you deal with."

"Oh, we truly are. What about you Lee? Do you have a special girl back home?"

"No" Lee said a little too quickly. "No, I have dated a lot of women in my off time but I'm not really the settling down type," he explained.

"Oh, I see. So the right one just hasn't come along?" Earl suggested.

"Oh, I have had a couple in my life that I thought could have been the right one, but the relationships for one reason or another just weren't meant to be." Lee said with a far away look in his eyes. Earl realized that maybe this subject was a little too personal.

Kami's car pulled into the driveway at that moment and gave them both the interruption they needed. She hurried in from the car while accompanied by someone who wore a shawl over her head to hide her face. After they were inside, the woman took off the shawl and Lee saw that it was Francesca.

"Hi everyone. Thank you for welcoming me back to your home. I think Ehsan should be here shortly so that we can make final plans." Francesca said as she gave Earl a hug.

"I'm here now!" Ehsan said as he walked into the room.

"I didn't hear a car." Earl said as he warmly embraced Ehsan.

"No, I hid the jeep about a half mile away on a side road and then cut through the woods to your house. I didn't have time to go grab the other car and didn't want to take the chance of anyone seeing mine in the driveway."

"Well, let me whip up some food while you all talk" Kami said with a smile. Earl motioned for them to make themselves comfortable in the living room and they did. Lee sat in the recliner while Ehsan and Francesca sat on the couch together.

"It looks like Ebu has this auction all arranged and in order," Ehsan informed them.

"Yes, your contacts are telling me that the Russians are very excited to get possession of the documents. Ehsan, I'm worried about how we are going to get out of here without any trouble," Francesca admitted.

"Oh, don't you worry about that, I have a plan." Ehsan said with a smile.

**TBC**


	11. Chapter 11 - Goodbyes

**Chapter 11 – Goodbyes**

The house was dark and quiet as Lee lay trying to get some sleep. This was the secret room that Kami and Earl used to hide people who needed safety from the NRG. They had built it underneath a spare bedroom and the only way in or out of it was with a ladder that went to a trap door under the spare bedroom's bed. It was hidden well. Lee couldn't help but compare it to what it must have felt like to be part of the Underground Railroad during slavery times or being hidden from the Nazis during World War II. It was necessary to use it in case someone came visiting in the night. Lee was able to lock the door from downstairs so that it would make it nearly impossible for someone to accidentally stumble onto the room.

Lee's mind wandered back to the afternoon and evening with his friends. Ehsan, as always, had come up with a great plan for tomorrow. He made sure to include Lee. As they were discussing things, Earl suddenly got up and went to the same closet where he had retrieved the gun that Lee was carrying. He moved things around for a moment and then triumphantly announced, "Here it is!" Earl walked back out to the living room with a silver and blue uniform.

"Oh wow! Is that what I think it is?" Ehsan asked.

"Yes, it was Seth's. We grew very fond of the boy while we hid him here with his family**,**" Earl answered.

"In fact, I got a letter from him the other day. He has settled in Australia with his wife and little boy. He is now providing security for one of the big country singers there. He said that his family is well, and wished we would come join them," Kami said with a smile. "Of course, he ended it with how he knew we wouldn't leave, but that their offer was always there for us. He again expressed how grateful they were that we were able to help them all to safety."

The confusion crossing Lee's face had Ehsan jumping in to explain. "Seth was forced at a young age to join the military. His heart wasn't in it though. His wife was pregnant with their first child. After many beatings trying to get him to obey orders, he was forced to take a job at a local security company. They thought if he learned how to do security, then they could make him a guard in the government elite's protection forces. Seth hated guns though, and soon he began failing at this job too. Since he had been around too much classified information, the government decided to kill him. He found out and fled during the night with his family," Ehsan finished somberly.

Kami added, "That's right. He came here because his wife was sick from her pregnancy, and she needed a doctor very badly. When he showed up in that uniform, I was worried that he had been sent because they were on to us. It didn't take long for him to break down and tell me what he had been going through. Of course, my heart broke for him. We helped them escape after his wife was stronger. She had gotten so worn down with the little bit of food they could find to eat that she couldn't sustain herself and her baby. I was so happy they were able to send word that they have found happiness in their new home."

"That is great news. He is an example of why the NRG is all lies these days. When the NRG was first formed, Seth was the type of man that the group was hoping to save from the tyrannical government. I tried several times to get the group involved since he was extremely poor, but the NRG had no desire to get involved in his plight since there was no financial benefit to them. I finally had to stop because it was raising suspicions," Ehsan explained and then continued, "So Lee, I think Seth's uniform should fit you. I was thinking that we could tell Ebu and the others that we hired this security company to help keep the documents safe. Since it will be a last minute announcement, he won't have time to check out the story. Meanwhile, you will be close by to help and can carry a gun without being questioned."

As Lee had realized that Ehsan's plan did include him, he found himself almost glowing. He got up and took the uniform into the bathroom and tried it on. When he came out to show them, they all agreed that it was like it had been made for him because it fit perfectly. After modeling it, he went back and took it off and hung it back in the closet so that it wouldn't be noticeable if they suddenly had unexpected company.

For the next two hours, Ehsan laid out his plans to everyone. Lee was so impressed with how well Ehsan had thought of everything as always. He couldn't help but smile when he remembered how Earl had compared the two of them together. He was definitely not Ehsan's equal. Lee knew that he tended to do things without planning, and he also had a horrible habit of doing things recklessly. Ehsan never seemed to do anything recklessly. Still, it was an honor to be compared to him.

After Ehsan made sure that they all knew their parts, Earl offered to drive him and Francesca back to the jeep. Since it was dark outside, it seemed safe. "I'll meet you out at the car," Earl said because he knew that this was going to be hard for Ehsan.

Ehsan shook Lee's hand and said, "Thank you for all your help in this. We couldn't do it without you."

"Well, someone has to make sure you stay safe," Lee said with a grin.

Ehsan smiled back for a second and then said, "Hopefully the next time I can safely talk to you will be while we are boarding a plane."

Ehsan then turned his attention to Kami. He had tears in his eyes as he held out his arms and Kami dove into them. "Oh my friend, I wish you would come with us. I will worry about you every day and pray that you stay safe."

"We will be fine Ehsan. It has been such a pleasure helping you out. My wish right now is that your plan works. Then, we will all be much safer anyway."

Ehsan pulled her out of his embrace and smiled down at Kami as he said, "Don't my plans always work? I will miss you. I could never have done so much here without you and Earl. I can't believe it has been 5 years since I first came here. You and Earl have been so good to me. I am so thankful that I found you that day and you will always be family to me. Maybe one day you will come visit me in Italy. I will show you all the best places to eat and take you to all those places that the tourists don't know they are missing."

"I would love that. In the meantime, you stay safe my friend. My Earl will get you safely to the airport tomorrow night if you can just get to him. I look forward to him returning and telling me that he saw your plane take off with all three of you on board. Then, when you get home and things settle down, you make sure you find a nice woman to marry and take care of you. You deserve so much happiness like Earl and I have."

"I doubt that I will ever find the kind of happiness that you and Earl have, but it definitely gives me something to strive for." Ehsan pulled Kami into another huge bear hug. He whispered in her ear "I love you Kami."

Kami hugged him tighter as her own tears began falling and said "Oh Ehsan, I love you like you were my own son. Please write to us when you can. I will have a hole in my heart with your departure, but I am so blessed that you found us too and will be so relieved when I know you are safely back in Italy. "

Ehsan broke the embrace and kissed Kami on the cheek and then hurried out the door before her tears caused his to begin flowing.

Francesca knew they had to hurry so she quickly gave Kami a hug too. "As you can see, he only thinks he is tough" Kami said as she hugged Francesca back. "Take care of him. He needs a strong woman like you in his life."

"Me? I'm just his helper. I don't even know if they will offer me a job when we get back home. I might never see him again once we leave here," Francesca responded while revealing what she dreaded most.

"Oh, I'm pretty sure that he will make sure they do," Kami said with a knowing smile. "Now hurry up before they leave without you."

Francesca nodded at Lee as she hurried out the door to catch up with the men.

As Lee laid on the bed while reliving those moments, he couldn't help but feel emotional seeing a tough guy like Ehsan nearly fall apart with Kami. He hadn't known her for five years like Ehsan had,but just in the short time he had been with both her and Earl; he had felt a closeness that seemed to be missing in his life.

All these thoughts were swirling in his head as he tried to sleep. Tomorrow would be a busy day as sleep continued to evade him. Tomorrow would also be the day he would have to say his own goodbyes to Kami and Earl. As much as he couldn't wait to get back home, he knew that he wasn't looking forward to that moment either.

**TBC**


	12. Chapter 12 - Shiny Wheels

**Chapter 12 – Shiny Wheels**

Lee had tossed and turned most of the night. As someone who had been in this line of work for as long as he had, he knew he needed rest in order to be sharp in the morning. He just couldn't seem to shut his mind off enough to sleep.

He finally got up as the sun was just beginning to rise and found Kami in the kitchen preparing breakfast for Earl and herself. "I'm glad you are awake," Kami said as he entered the kitchen.

"Oh?" Lee asked.

"Yes, I wanted to have a little time with you before you left. Ehsan promised to send a vehicle by 9am. Can we sit and talk?"

"Sure," Lee agreed. He pulled a chair out for Kami as she brought two steaming mugs of coffee over. Then, he settled himself across from her.

"What do you want to talk about?" Lee asked.

"I don't know. I would love to hear more about you and your life in DC. I visited DC while I attended college in California. I was invited to give a lecture there, and I met some interesting people."

Lee chuckled and agreed, "Yes, there are definitely some interesting people in DC. What was your lecture about?"

Kami took a sip of her piping hot black coffee and explained, "I was in my final year of college, and I had specialized in diseases and viruses. It had always been important to me to spread the word that these viruses exist in countries where there isn't good healthcare and that we need to provide more doctors and medicines to those countries."

"I heard about your parents. I'm really sorry Kami. I lost my parents at a very young age," Lee said sadly.

"Were you an orphan, Lee?" Kami asked.

"No, but sometimes I wonder if it might have been better if I had been put in the foster care system. Instead, my uncle took me in. He wasn't exactly prepared or really in any position to bring up a spirited young boy."

A smiled spread across Kami's face as she remarked, "I see. Well, I think you turned out just fine."

Lee chuckled again and said, "I think there are others including my uncle who would probably disagree with you."

"Lee, you listen to me. I really don't care what others say. I only care about what I see and hear. You are an amazing young man, and I'm sure you have many stories to tell," Kami said in a motherly tone.

Resignedly Lee responded, "Well yes, but you know I can't tell you most of them since they are classified."

Kami sighed and nodded, "Yes, I know. Ehsan always told me the same thing about his past too."

"I'm sorry Kami. I can tell you that I have a good boss, a few friends and most days I like my job," Lee shared.

"What do you like most about your job?" Kami asked.

"I don't know. I guess I like making things a little safer for others. I hope that my efforts will save some other little boy from growing up without his parents."

"You and I are alike in more ways than we realize. I could never leave this country because I know that I have saved many families from losing loved ones from not only various diseases and infections but from a tyrannical government and terrorists."

"You are an amazing woman, Kami. I'm glad I got to meet you. I suppose I better get moving if I'm going to be ready to leave when my car arrives," Lee said reluctantly.

"I suppose so," Kami said in a sad voice. "Ehsan needs your help and I'm so glad you will be there for him."

"Yeah, me too," Lee said as he hurried off to take a shower. In no time, he was clean, shaved and dressed in the Security Guard Uniform. As he entered the kitchen, he found that Earl had gotten up and joined Kami for breakfast.

"Well, you sure do look good in a uniform!" Kami exclaimed as she looked up and saw Lee.

"Yes, you do son," Earl agreed. "They delivered your vehicle a few minutes ago. I had them put it by the side of the house so it would be less noticeable."

"What did Ehsan get for me?" Lee asked.

"Go take a look," Earl answered.

Lee walked outside and stood on the porch as he took in the brightly colored silver and blue van that displayed the words "Eagle Eyes Security" on it.

"What do you think?" Earl asked as he joined him on the porch and handed him the keys.

"Wow, how did Ehsan pull that off?"

"He didn't. I did," Earl stated proudly.

"You?" Lee asked "But how?"

"I just happen to have a good friend who is one of the top guys there. I try to keep good relations with all the businesses in town. I had taken Kami's car into town to put gas into it so you could borrow it. Kami rarely goes anywhere with it so I planned to let you borrow it today. As I drove by Eagle Eyes Security, I came up with a better plan. I stopped at the local doughnut shop and bought several cups of coffee along with a couple dozen doughnuts and then went to back to the security building. They asked me where my truck was. So, I began telling them about how it was making a weird noise and that I didn't dare to drive it. I then spun a tale about how I was losing out on a business transaction because I didn't dare to take the truck loaded with vegetables out of town, and that I was going to be out a lot of money. The next thing I knew my friend, Omal, pushed some keys into my hand and told me to borrow his van for the day. Of course, I insisted that I couldn't do that, but he refused to take no for an answer," Earl said with a very big triumphant smile.

Lee shook his head in amazement and said, "Are you sure you don't want a job with the agency."

Earl lowered his voice and said, "I would, but you know Kami would have something to say about that." Then he chuckled to let Lee know he was putting him on and Lee laughed with him.

"I heard that!" Kami said with a scorning look at Earl as she joined them on the porch.

"Oh Sweetie, you know I'm too old to join them now."

Kami couldn't fake being mad at him and teased, "You just couldn't bear not tending your gardens."

"Well there's that too," Earl agreed as he hugged his wife.

"Well, I guess I should get going." Lee said reluctantly.

Earl pulled out of Kami's embrace and said, "Yes, it is time. Now remember, I will be waiting for all of you with Francesca about 5 miles from the camp. Ehsan knows where the hiding spot is. We'll hide the van there so I can get it tomorrow and return it to Omal. I'll be going to town shortly to pick her up."

"Won't Omal notice you don't have the van?" Lee questioned.

"Nah, he's already out doing his duties. I'll take Kami's car since no one recognizes it as much. Francesca knows to be ready for me so we won't be in town long," Earl explained.

"Great, I think you have planned this out well. Now we just need to finalize Ehsan's plans and get out of this country," Lee stated.

"Not without a proper goodbye!" Kami said defiantly.

"Of course not!" Lee agreed as he opened his arms and Kami accepted the invite and gave him a huge hug. "Don't you forget that you are someone special Lee Stetson. I don't care what kind of upbringing you had. In my book, you turned out to be a great man," Kami said as she blinked back the tears.

Lee pulled her out of his embrace and said, "Thank you Kami. That means a lot coming from you. Stay safe and let me know if there is ever anything you need, okay?"

"We will. Thanks Lee. Now get out of here before I start really crying," Kami said with a smile.

Lee smiled and nodded and then headed for the van. This day was just beginning and he needed to get going. It was good to have an excuse to leave because saying goodbye to Kami seemed to have left a huge lump in his throat.

**TBC**


	13. Chapter 13 - The Auction

**Chapter 13 – The Auction **

Ehsan had spent some time with Francesca after he left Kami and Earl's so he could be filled in on the last minute information from his contacts. He arrived back at the camp late but since that was normal for him, no one paid any attention. The guard greeted him warmly as usual and Ehsan got out of his vehicle for a minute to chat with him. The guard shack was not very big so they stood outside as they talked. After a few minutes, Ehsan yawned and said "I guess I'd better get to bed. Hey, what is that?" Ehsan asked as he pointed to a corner of the shack. The guard whipped around and hurried to the area to check it out. He never noticed that Ehsan didn't follow him immediately.

"I don't see anything." The guard said as Ehsan suddenly joined him.

"I guess I was seeing things. I thought there was a wild animal digging a hole under the guard shack. That's what happens when I spend too much time with my woman and she exhausts me," Ehsan said with a grin. Understanding the implication,the Guard grinned back and said "Well you should go to bed. I will keep us safe."

"I'm sure you will," Ehsan agreed as he got back into his vehicle. He proceeded to drive into the camp. As he pulled up into the parking lot, he noticed that there was a large tent set up at the far corner of the camp. He quickly parked and made his way to it. Walking inside, he first noticed there were several tables that had been set up to make one long continuous table down the middle of the entire tent. Around the table, at least forty chairs had been set up, and red tablecloths ran down the length of it. A place setting rested in front of each chair consisting of an ivory bone china plate, polished silverware, white linen napkin and a large fancy beer stein. A temporary bar had been set up in the back. Ehsan knew that Ebu's plan was to make sure each of the bidders drank a good amount of alcohol before the auction began in hopes that they would become careless and bid ridiculously high. Ebu had truly thought of everything. Ehsan hoped that he had too as he took care of some last minute details.

When he was done, Ehsan couldn't help but smile at his efforts. He left the tent and continued with the task he had started throughout the camp. When he was done, he went back to his own cabin to try to get some sleep. It seemed like he had just put his head on the pillow when suddenly it was time to get up again. He rushed to shower and change before the guests began arriving. He had just emerged from his quarters when the first jeep arrived. Each of the guests agreed to be brought to the camp blindfolded in one of the NRGs jeeps so they wouldn't know the location of the camp. As the guests emerged from the jeeps, they were finally allowed to remove their blindfolds.

Since Ehsan's contacts had told Francesca who would be attending the auction; he wasn't the least bit surprised to see the two Russians who emerged from the first jeep transport. Ebu had no idea that Ehsan knew these two Russians well. He had been involved with them several years back when he was on a case in Paris. It was one of the first times he had done something illegal in order to fake his loyalty to Russia. The two Russians had been caught smuggling drugs into the country and Ehsan was informed about it. He couldn't just leave them to rot in prison without raising suspicion from the Russians he worked for. So with a little help from a French friend, he had managed to sneak them out of the prison one night. The two men got on a plane to Russia and left Paris before anyone realized they were gone. Ehsan had been relieved when Francesca told him that they were the ones attending. They would have no reason to ever believe that Ehsan was not still loyal to Russia.

Ebu was very smug as he introduced the three of them. Ehsan could sense that Ebu was enjoying being the host, but something didn't quite seem right in the way he was handling himself. Ehsan tried to shrug it off though because there were still a lot of things that needed to be done in order for his plan to work. Ehsan shook hands with the two Russians as they all greeted each other while acting like complete strangers. He then excused himself so he could go meet the next jeep as the man from Japan arrived. He made his way to the jeep and was relieved when he noticed that Lee had arrived and was standing by the tent entrance. The security hat that Lee wore thankfully covered part of his face. Ehsan felt confident that Ebu would be too busy showing off for all the guests to pay any attention to him which meant that he shouldn't be recognized.

Ehsan spent the morning greeting each of the guests as they arrived. From his early days as an Intelligence Operative, Ehsan recognized all of them and knew that most of them were very dangerous and were wanted for crimes in various countries. He also noticed that none of them were friendly with each other. They had each come to obtain those documents at all costs; not to make friends. Having the auction become deadly very quickly was all part of his plan.

Ebu, on the other hand, was enjoying being the center of attention while playing the host. He quickly showed each new arrival to the bar and made sure that they had plenty to drink. Since most of them were pretty hyped up, they did not complain and most gulped down the fiery shots that were being offered without thinking twice about it.

Even as he was playing host, Ehsan couldn't help but notice that Ebu seemed to be keeping a close eye on Ehsan's movements. He wondered if Ebu had figured out who he was or had seen him at Earl and Kami's. Ehsan's instincts had never failed him. His instincts were screaming that something wasn't right. He was really glad that Lee was there and hoped that the two of them would be able to handle whatever Ebu was plotting.

At noontime, the cooks from the Camp wheeled in a huge buffet table loaded with all kinds of different meats, rice dishes, vegetable platters and soups. Another table was wheeled in right behind the first. It was overloaded with many desserts that were popular from many different countries.

"Gentlemen, can I have your attention please? My cook staff has prepared some nourishment for all of us before we settle down to business. Please help yourself to this feast." Ebu grandly announced.

"I didn't come here to eat, I came here to bid. When is this auction?" the Iraqi demanded to know.

"Patience, my dear friend. We are still awaiting a few more guests." Ebu calmly stated with a smile.

"In my country, we call this stalling!" the North Korean said angrily.

"Gentlemen, gentlemen, please, let's eat some food. The rest should be here soon. Then you all will be prepared to bid with full bellies." Ebu assured them.

After some more grumbling at having to wait, the men all took a seat around the table after heaping their plates with food from the buffet. They did not look at each other as they shoved forkfuls of food into their mouths. Since there were already over 30 people there representing 20 countries, Ehsan wondered who else was supposed to show up. He had made it clear to Ebu that Russia would be the victor. The price of one million dollars was already agreed upon with them no matter what amount anyone else bid. The Russians would just continue to outbid each of the other men until they won. Then they had been promised that they would only be responsible for the million dollars. Was Ebu going to ignore this agreement?

"Ehsan, aren't you going to eat?" Ebu interrupted his thoughts as he quietly snuck up behind him.

"I'm not particularly hungry," Ehsan answered. "Who are we waiting for?"

"My good friends from Afghanistan and Saudi Arabia are both running late," Ebu said with a snide grin that made Ehsan realize that Ebu was definitely not going to stay with the agreement.

"I did not know they had been invited." Ehsan responded.

"Oh, well you did leave this auction up to me Ehsan. I have it all under control. You don't need to worry about anything. You will excuse me? I want to grab some of that Prime Rib before it is all gone." Ebu abruptly walked away before Ehsan could ask him anything else.

Ehsan stole a glance at Lee. When he caught his eye, he tried to give him a look that would warn him that things were not going as planned. He watched as Lee acknowledged him with a slight nod. Ehsan quickly turned his focus back to everyone else to make sure that no one noticed this quick exchange. They were all busy eating the last of their desserts and did not seem to be paying any attention to him or Lee.

Ebu gestured to the men at the bar who began promptly filling each of the empty beer steins that had been placed with the rest of place settings. Ehsan could see that already most of the men were feeling the affect of the shots that they had gulped earlier as they were becoming very boisterous. Ehsan couldn't help but wonder if this wasn't part of the plan too. Was he intending to kill Ehsan and make it seem like one of these other men had done it? It would not surprise him if that was indeed Ebu's true intention. As the thought kept circling round in his mind, he became more convinced that was his plan all along. He had never forgiven him for his friendship to Lee _**and**_ Ebu desired to be in control. This was a perfect way to succeed in making sure he got his wish. Ehsan found himself watching Ebu's every move. He was sure that Ebu would want the pleasure of killing him instead of letting one of his men do it. Now, it just became a question of when.

Ehsan's thoughts were interrupted when 2 giant men walked through the door. "Gentlemen, I think all of our guests are here now" Ebu informed everyone. The men from Afghanistan and Saudi Arabia made their way forward to shake hands with Ebu. "Glad you could make it." Ebu said as he embraced both of them quickly. The bartender tried to give them glasses full to the brim of whiskey but both men refused. "We are not allowed to drink that vile stuff. It is illegal in both our countries." The Afghan explained.

"I am sorry" Ebu quickly apologized. "I had forgotten. Bartender, please bring my friends some cokes." Ebu said.

After they received their drinks, Ebu raised his glass of beer and said "Let's have a toast. First off, I want to thank you all for coming today. I know you are eager to be able to bring the prize home to your country. Here's to the highest bidder." Ebu said as he took a huge swig of his beer. The other men followed suit and most of them once again drained their steins. Ehsan watched from a distance. He could see just how visibly drunk most of the men were by this time.

"I don't want to wait any longer. Let's get this auction started." the Russian named Yegor boomed out loudly. "Where are those documents?"

Ebu nodded to two armed men in the far corner. They walked into the middle of the room with an attaché case and handed it to Ebu. They took a position nearby so they could protect Ebu if they needed to. Ebu clicked off the numbers of the combination lock in the correct order and opened the case. He retrieved the documents inside and spread them out on the table. "Gentlemen, you can look, but please don't touch. I know you all have traveled a long way for these, but only one country will be walking out with them today. I do want to point out that the last diagram is missing in case anyone decides to do anything stupid. The winning bidder will receive it after the auction ends and when I receive your payment in full."

"How do we know we can trust you?" the Japanese man asked.

"How do I know I can trust you?" Ebu said with a smirk. "This keeps the playing field a little more honest."

Ehsan noticed that none of the men really spent much time studying the documents. He wasn't sure if anyone would realize they were fake or not. He was a little surprised and relieved that no one ever thought to question if they were real. Everything was going a little too smoothly.

Ebu put the papers into the case, locked it and then handed it back to the guards. "Why don't you all have a seat? I have decided to do this by silent auction."

The men all began complaining loudly at once. Ebu held up a hand and said "Listen, these documents are worth a lot of money. I need to know that you all are serious about giving me what they are worth. So a silent auction forces you to give me your best bid up front. I don't have time for games."

Ehsan was shocked at this piece of news. Not once was it ever discussed to do this as a silent auction. Now he knew for sure that Ebu was up to no good.

"Let's just get on with it." The Saudi snarled as his fist banged the table. A member of the NRG appeared at that moment and handed each of the men a blank piece of paper and a pen.

"Okay, so I want each of you to write your name and country on the top of your paper and then I want you to write what your country's top bid would be. Remember that this will be the amount you will need to pay in order to receive the documents." Ehsan noticed that Ebu looked directly at the Russians as he gave the instructions.

"I don't like this!" the Iranian said bitterly.

"You don't have to like it. In fact, you can leave if you wish. These are my documents, and I make the rules. Do we have an understanding, gentlemen?" Ebu asked in authoritative voice.

There was more groaning as the men agreed and began to write on their papers. As everyone was finishing, Ebu picked up a basket that had been lying off to the side and handed it to Ehsan. "Ehsan, will you do the honors of collecting the bids?"

Ehsan hesitated as he realized that he was being set up. He glanced quickly at Lee and could see that he wore a worried expression. He knew that he had to go along with Ebu though. He took the basket and began walking the length of the table while allowing the men to place their bids inside. As he came around the other side of the table, he could see that Ebu had taken his gun out and was leveling it to aim at Ehsan's chest.

Ehsan placed the basket on the table and said in a loud, booming voice "Gentlemen, listen up! You are all being deceived today. I'm very sorry to tell you this but this whole thing has been a lie. Ebu has lied to you. These documents are FAKE." Ehsan paused for a dramatic affect.

"WHAT?! What do you mean they are fake?" Yegor demanded to know.

"I'm sorry. I had no idea he was going to try to steal from all of you. He begged me to put him in charge. I should have known he was up to something. I'm afraid this whole thing has been a huge waste of your time. Unfortunately I don't know where the real documents are and I did not know that these were not the real documents until moments ago when he took them out of the case. You could clearly see that there are no stamps on the documents claiming them to be Top Secret." Ehsan explained as proof of his allegations.

Ebu had lowered the gun so the others couldn't see it and demanded in an authoritative voice "What does that have to do with anything. Why are you lying to these men?"

"I'm not the one lying. You are Ebu and you know it. I saw the original documents and they were clearly stamped 'Top Secret'. I am not sure what your intentions are, but I can assure everyone in this room that it is not to hand over the originals."

"Is he telling the truth?" The Saudi demanded. "Is that why you asked me to help you kill him; so he couldn't tell us the truth?"

"No, I asked you to help me kill him so that together our two groups could merge and become the most feared terrorist group in the world. I do not know what he is talking about. He is definitely lying because he knew I had a gun aimed at him."

"Gentlemen, I have no reason to lie to you. Ebu begged me to let him run this auction. I gave him a complete set of ground rules and he has not obeyed any of them. I have worked with most of you for the past few years and you all know that I'm a man of my word. Who do you think is telling the truth?" Ehsan asked with more authority than he felt among these dangerous men.

"Why you little – " Yegor growled as he hurled his body at Ebu and slammed him to the ground. It became obvious very quickly that the men believed Ehsan because soon there was a huge pile up on the floor as everyone tried to get a punch in. Ehsan nodded to Lee and the two of them quickly left the tent. As they hurried outside, the sounds of gunfire erupted. Suddenly, it seemed like the whole camp was rushing towards the tent. Ehsan pulled Lee into some nearby bushes with him. They watched from their hiding place while listening to more gun shots.

"Come on! Let's go!" Ehsan said with urgency after the last man disappeared inside the tent.

Since Lee was too far away at the entrance to hear what the men had been saying, he was at a loss as to what had just happened. "What happened to the plan?" Lee asked as he ran behind Ehsan.

"As I was collecting the bids, I saw Ebu begin to point a gun at me. I knew at that moment that it was time to come up with a new plan. Any objections?" Ehsan asked as he threw a look back at Lee.

"No, none at all. Come on, the van is just over there." Lee pointed out.

It only took a few seconds for the van to appear in their eyesight.

Lee paused as he neared the van and asked "What about your things?"

"There is nothing left here that I need. I gave the important things to Francesca last night."

"Great. Get in, I'll drive." Lee suggested as he opened the driver's door and waited for Ehsan to get in. Lee drove slowly to the entrance so as to not cause any alarm. As they neared the entrance, Ehsan said "Let me do the talking, okay?"

"Fine by me." Lee agreed.

Lee pulled up beside of the guard shack and a young man came out to see who was leaving the camp.

"Oh hi Commander Ehsan. I'm surprised to see you leaving now. I thought you were part of the auction?"

"I was, but Ebu has it under control. I just got word that someone is messing with my Francesca again. This security officer has agreed to go help me take care of him."

"No one should be messing with your beautiful lady sir. I'm sure they will regret it." The young guard said confidently.

"Yes, they definitely will. I'm sorry, but we are in a hurry. Can we go?" Ehsan asked.

"Yes sir, and good luck sir." The young man shouted after the van.

About 500 feet down the road, Ehsan said "Pull over."

Lee knew that this was part of the original plan so he found a spot where he could pull the van completely off the road. Ehsan retrieved a box from his pocket and asked "Do you want to do the honors?"

"No, I think you earned it."

"Okay, here it goes. Let's hope I got them all positioned well enough." Ehsan said as he pushed a button on the box.

Suddenly there were sounds of large booms and the ground shook as many bombs began going off all around the camp. The guard shack was the first to go. Some pieces of debris from it landed near the van. Lee and Ehsan watched as cabin after cabin exploded. They continued to watch as the huge tent suddenly went flying up into the air. The entire thing only took a minute but when it was over, the camp had been leveled and there was no sign of life left there.

Lee and Ehsan exchanged knowing looks and then Lee put the van in drive and headed to meet Earl. It was time to get out of this country. It was time for them to both go home.

**TBC**


	14. Chapter 14 - Through Another's Eyes

**Chapter 14 – Through Another's Eyes**

Earlier that day, Lee had been surprised that he had no problem entering the compound and then making his way to the tent. He could see that Ehsan was busy greeting the guests so he made his way to the front of the entrance of the tent. It was important to make it look like he had been hired as the security for the day.

It didn't take long to realize that Ebu had made it his mission to get all of the guests very drunk and was succeeding. A couple of them had tried to engage Lee in conversation, but he told them that he was not allowed to talk to the guests. As he stood watching everything that was going on, he couldn't help but notice how Ebu had grown even more arrogant than he was when he last saw him. He definitely wanted the control of this group and something told Lee that he had every intention of claiming it that day. Ebu seemed to be watching every move that Ehsan made. It was unsettling and Lee could tell that Ehsan realized it.

All these men had come a long way to bid on these documents. Despite knowing that they were getting angry, Ebu seemed to keep stalling. The men were nearly at the end of their patience when he insisted they eat lunch first. Lee was too far away to hear much, but from his vantage point, he could tell that Ebu bullied them. Soon they all began shoving forkfuls of food into their mouths. It seemed that they felt if they ate quickly; then the bidding could start. Ebu had mentioned that he was still waiting for 2 more men which hadn't been part of the plan that Ehsan knew about.

At one point, Lee locked eyes with Ehsan and could tell that something was wrong. He gave a slight nod to let him know that he understood to keep an eye out for trouble. Ehsan had given Ebu complete orders on how he expected this auction to run. However, Ebu didn't seem to be obeying many of those orders. All the changes could affect Ehsan's plans and Lee knew he needed to be completely observant to follow any last minute changes Ehsan made.

Lee noticed that a jeep had pulled up. He couldn't resist looking to see who these 2 final men were. He watched them remove their blindfolds and found himself experiencing instant rage at their presence. The two men were old friends of each other. One was from Afghanistan while the other was from Saudi Arabia. They had teamed up together a few years ago to establish one of the worse active terrorist groups in recent years. The bloodshed they left behind when they went after something they wanted was horrifying. They didn't care who they killed. In fact, they glorified killing even when it was innocent women and children. Lee was grateful that the real documents were not here as these were two men who definitely must never have access to them. As the two men entered the tent, Lee noticed immediately how friendly they were with Ebu. It was becoming more and more obvious that Ebu intended to shift the NRG into something much more dangerous than what it had been.

Lee stole another glance at Ehsan and could tell by his body language that something had gone wrong. Ebu showed the documents to the men through his own bodyguards and then locked them back up again. Ebu then defiantly announced that it would be a silent auction and that the highest bid on paper would be the country who would claim the documents. This unexpected change could possibly have Ehsan's original plan spiraling out of control. Ehsan had been sure that his power was strong enough to control Ebu so they hadn't discussed an alternative ideas in case Ebu made any last minute changes like this. Lee knew that if anyone could figure out a way to handle this situation; it was Ehsan. As Lee watched Ehsan go around the table to collect the bids, he saw him tense up. Ehsan had seen something that Lee could not see from his vantage point.

Ehsan suddenly started talking in a loud voice so he could be heard over the men who were also talking. He announced that the documents were a fake. Lee watched as the drunken men suddenly began reacting with anger at this news. As Ehsan explained how he knew they were fake; they became enraged.

Suddenly one of the huge Russian men hurled himself onto Ebu and slammed him to the ground. As if it were a football game where the quarterback just got sacked, the other men piled on top trying to get a piece of Ebu.

Lee and Ehsan locked eyes once again as they nodded in agreement and both headed for the exit. This was the opportunity they had been hoping for. Lee couldn't help but tease Ehsan about his plan not going quite the way he intended but secretly he was actually very impressed at how Ehsan was able to change plans in midstream. Lee was at the wrong angle to see the gun that Ebu had begun pointing at Ehsan. He would have had no way to protect him before it was too late. Lee was just thankful that in the end everything had fallen into place and worked brilliantly. They were able to flee out of the compound without anything further going wrong. Since so many of the men loved and respected him, the guard was none the wiser that Ehsan was fleeing and allowed them to quickly pass through the gate.

Lee knew that it saddened Ehsan to take out the whole camp. He had liked some of the men there, but to leave any of them behind was asking for trouble. By destroying all of the camp and the men; they hoped to end the NRG for good. Ehsan had done an excellent job when he returned the night before and spent time planting the bombs around the camp. There didn't seem to be any space that hadn't been destroyed during the explosion. It seemed impossible that there would be any survivors.

As they raced to the meeting spot with Earl, Lee complimented Ehsan on coming up with the idea that the documents didn't have Top Secret on them.

Ehsan laughed and said "Well actually Lee, I took a chance that they wouldn't check them. They were duplicated from the originals except for having some key things removed. I'm sure Top Secret was stamped on those fake ones but I had noticed that the men barely looked at them because Ebu had made them wait so long and they were so eager to begin the auction. It was a great bluff, wouldn't you say?"

"Wow, remind me to never play poker with you." Lee laughed as he pulled into the area where Earl was waiting for them. Earl jumped out of Kami's car and pointed to a spot that he had already cleared out for them to park the van. In no time, the men had the van covered completely up with the tree limbs that Earl had gathered while he waited for them to arrive.

Earl handed Lee his clothes and he ducked behind the van to change. As he handed the uniform back to Earl he said "Those worked perfectly. You should keep them in case someone else has a need for them."

"I sure will" Earl said with a smile as he took the uniform from Lee and put it in the trunk.

After everyone piled into Kami's car, Earl asked "Did everything go as planned?"

Ehsan and Lee both began laughing at once as Earl and Francesca watched them in confusion.

As the laughter died down, Ehsan said "Of course it did. Don't my plans always work? Although, sometimes like today, they just need to be tweaked a little."

Earl smiled and said "Well as long as the tweaking worked. Is there a camp left for us to worry about?"

Ehsan sadly smiled and said quietly "No, that part of the plan worked perfectly. You shouldn't have to worry about the NRG anymore. Of course another terrorist group could move in, but that should take some time."

Earl couldn't help but notice the sadness in Ehsan's voice and he reached behind him to squeeze Ehsan's arm. "I know you were fond of some of them son. It would have been nice to get them to safety but unfortunately they all wanted to be there. You know they would have just started another group."

Eshan sighed and nodded his head in agreement. "I know. Sometimes this job is just hard though."

"It is what makes you one of the good guys. You actually cared that you had to take those lives for the sake of the world."

"I agree." Lee interrupted. "It is never easy to kill, and it is my least favorite part of my job. When I saw the amount of dangerous men that entered that tent today, I couldn't help but think about how much better the world would be once they were all dead. You did what you had to do Ehsan."

"I know, it will just take my therapist to help me deal with it." Ehsan said with a laugh that didn't sound very convincing. "Let's get to the airport before anyone stops to ask us any questions."

"Now that sounds like a great plan!" Lee agreed.

**TBC**


	15. Chapter 15 - Going Home

**Chapter 15 – Going Home**

As they drove to the airport, Earl explained how he was able to book all 3 of them onto a flight that would have a 3 hour layover in Doha. From there, Francesca and Ehsan would board a plane for the long flight to Italy and Lee would board a flight shortly after that was scheduled to arrive at the Dulles Airport in about 38 hours. They all groaned at the mention of how long they would have to be on planes, but they were happy to finally be heading home.

Earl parked the car as close to the entrance as he could, and they all began walking to the front entrance.

"Lee, where is your luggage." Ehsan asked as he repositioned the small backpack of things that he had decided to keep from his five years there.

"Well when you found me that day, if you recall, I had to get rid of the men who were with me. They had my luggage. It's no big deal though. I know not to bring my lucky shirt on trips like this." Lee said with a smile that made the others laugh.

Earl punched him lightly in the arm and said "Perhaps it is time for you to get a lucky rabbit's foot instead."

The group's laughter continued as they entered the terminal building. They stood in line and got their tickets and then walked over to the waiting area together. They were told that boarding would be taking place in about 10 minutes so it was time to say goodbye.

Lee tried to just shake Earl's hand but he soon found himself wrapped up in a huge bear hug. "Son, I hope you find whatever it is that will make you happy in this life. When we first met, you seemed like such a lost soul. Though I can see some changes in you, I think you still have some growing to do. Just remember that life isn't just about this job. You are still young, Lee. You should find that woman who lights up your world, have some kids and settle down. You deserve it Lee." Earl said as he loosened his embrace and stood looking Lee in the eyes.

"I don't think I'm the settling down type Earl. If I ever do find that special woman who changes my mind, I will give you an all expense vacation trip to come to my wedding and of course you will be in the front row."

"That sounds like a deal to me." Earl said with a smile and one final pat on Lee's back. "Take care of yourself and don't forget about us. Stay in touch, okay?"

"I will" Lee promised.

Earl then turned his attention to Francesca. As he hugged her, he whispered something in her ear that made her blush, but neither Lee nor Ehsan could hear what he said.

"Thanks Earl. I think you are wrong but you are very kind. I will miss you," Francesca said as they ended the hug.

"I'm always right." Earl said with a wink. He then turned his attention to Ehsan.

"Come on tough guy." Earl said as he crushed Ehsan in the biggest bear hug ever. It wasn't possible for either of them not to cry even though they both did try to hold back their tears. They both knew that they might never see each other again. As they broke apart, Ehsan wiped his eyes and said "I'm not so tough. I just had to pretend to be in order to stay alive. Earl, I can't thank you enough for all that you and Kami have done for me. You became the family that I haven't had in a long time and you were a better father to me than my own father ever was. I would have never survived mentally out here for 5 years if not for you both. I can never repay you for any of that, but you know where to find me if you ever need me. I also need to know that you are safe so if anyone tries to take over for the NRG, please contact me immediately, okay?"

"Son, it has been a pleasure having you here. I wish it had been different circumstances, but you are truly the son we never had. We are going to miss you, but I am very happy to see you going home too. We will of course all stay in touch. Besides, you promised Kami a trip to Italy, so one day we will take you up on that. Hopefully there will be less danger now that the NRG is gone, but this country is still at war so I guess we will never be truly safe until that is over. Meanwhile, Kami will continue to have plenty of patients to keep her busy."

"Yes, Kami is truly the miracle this area needed." Ehsan agreed.

"Yes she is. I want you to find your own 'Kami', Ehsan. You deserve to find a woman who will take care of you and make you happy."

"I doubt there is such a woman who would put up with me or the crazy work I do." Ehsan said in a joking manner.

Earl smiled back and said "Well you never know. Sometimes you find the best things right under your nose. I think I just heard the last boarding call so you better run. Goodbye. I'll tell Kami that you all got on the plane safely." Earl said as he rushed them off. Earl chuckled as he watched them board the plane because he knew that his last comment had confused Ehsan. The man was smart but like most men, he couldn't see what was right in front of him. Hopefully one day soon, he would before it was too late.

**TBC**


	16. Chapter 16 - Life is All About Ironies

**Chapter 16 – Life is All About the Ironies**

The three of them boarded the plane and found their seats. Francesca and Ehsan were sitting together and Lee was in the seat across the aisle from them. None of them talked for the first hour as they all tried to get their emotions under control. During the final 3 hours, they spent time talking about places they enjoyed the most where they lived, and Lee launched into some of his unclassified exaggerated stories to keep them entertained. The other passengers around them enjoyed them too and Lee soon found that his exaggerations grew bigger to get them all to laugh. It passed the time quickly and soon they found themselves in Doha at the Doha International Airport.

As they got off the plane, they all suddenly realized that none of them had eaten all day since all three of them were starving. They quickly found a restaurant in the airport and ordered some food. They had a three hour layover so this was the perfect time to get some nourishment.

As they sat waiting for their food, they again engaged in small talk but this time Francesca took over the conversation.

"Ehsan, thank you for allowing me to be a part of all of this. You have no idea how much it has meant to me. I need to share something that I got from one of your informants though. He didn't know that he was telling me something that would mean anything to me, he just wanted to share the news with you."

"Go on, what did he tell you?" Ehsan urged her to continue.

"There was a man who was very smart who was well known for his ESP studies. This man gave lectures and taught people about the incredible uses of ESP and people came from all over to hear his lectures. One day, he was convinced to leave Italy to go to Russia. His family begged him not to go but he would not listen. He had fallen in love and married this woman who told him that the Russians were offering him a great deal and that he would be stupid not to take it. So against all his family's wishes, he left his home and everything that he loved and everyone who loved him and went to Russia. He broke his family's heart but he insisted that he would be fine.

Everyone told him that you can't trust the Russians but he was convinced that his wife was right and that everyone else was wrong. Then one day, with no warning, he found himself in a Russian prison. All communication was cut off and the Russians would not explain why he was in jail. It has been months without knowing whether he was dead or alive."

Lee had perked up as soon as he heard the mention of ESP. He sat listening intently to Francesca's story. Ehsan was puzzled and asked "I don't understand. What does this have to do with you and why is it important to you?"

"Your informant thought you would want to know because of your Russian ties. It seems that the United States just managed to break him out of the prison recently and he is on his way there now on a cargo ship. The reason it is important to me is.." Francesca paused dramatically seemingly to summon up some courage before blurting out, "He is my uncle."

"Your uncle?" Both Lee and Ehsan exclaimed at once.

"Yes, my uncle. I'm so happy he is alive and soon will be safe."

Lee's heart began beating wildly and he asked in barely a whisper "What is your uncle's name? His name, what is his name" He repeated.

Francesca smiled as she said _"Angelo Spinelli"_

**TBC**


	17. Chapter 17 - The Flight Home

**Chapter 17 – The Flight Home**

Lee tried to stretch his legs out in the small space in front of him. He already hated how uncomfortable it was to fly to begin with, but having to fly for over 30 hours was almost unbearable. It didn't help that his past had just been thrown into his face and now he felt the urgency even more to go home.

Francesca had no idea that Lee knew exactly who Angelo Spinelli was. He still couldn't believe that she was related to him though. He had no idea that Angelo had an older brother. He had never mentioned him to Lee. Of course, when two men are in love with the same woman, becoming best friends who share private things about themselves seemed pretty unlikely. Francesca had sadly told them that her father had died recently which left her without any family. She was thrilled to learn that Angelo was alive and was a free man again.

Lee had to keep his emotions in check as he tried to find out what Francesca knew about Angelo's release from prison and his escape to the United States. Ehsan's contacts only knew that Angelo was due to arrive Sunday afternoon on the cargo ship that the agency had managed to smuggle him out of Russia on. Lee's plane would arrive at 2am Monday morning if all went well.

It had been bittersweet saying goodbye to Ehsan again. He was glad that the man could finally go home. Francesca had kept the original documents safe the whole time. Now, the two of them would be welcomed back to Italy as heroes for returning the documents. Lee was sure they would also be recognized for their part in ridding the world of the NRG and the other terrorists that had been killed. What was Lee's part in all of it though? Ehsan hadn't really needed his help. Who requested that the agency become involved? The more Lee thought about it, the more he realized that something didn't add up. Was it possible that Billy had volunteered him just to get him out of town? Did Billy know that Angelo had been rescued and he decided to take matters into his own hands? Billy was one of the few people who knew what happened in Italy two years ago. Lee couldn't help but wonder if Billy had tried to shelter him from facing the past? He would have to have a long talk with Billy when he got home.

Lee tried again to find a more comfortable position for his long legs. It was pretty hopeless though. When he saw the stewardess making her rounds, he motioned for her to refill his glass of Scotch. The only good thing about the flight was that the seat next to his was empty. He didn't have to pretend to enjoy listening to someone chatter away at him. As his refill was delivered, he wasted no time in gulping it down. He was hoping to stop the memories but they were still too powerful for just a couple of drinks to numb the pain of them. They continued to drift and circle around in his mind like an icy, cold blizzard.

It seemed so long ago now. In April of 1981, he was returning from Sri Lanka for the first time. His experience with the NRG had left a mark on him and Billy could tell that he was still a little raw from it. A couple of months later, an assignment became available in Italy and Billy suggested that Lee take care of it. Lee had complained at first. This was not usually the type of case that Lee was assigned. He wasn't used to the easy ones and this one sounded just plain boring. The US Government had recently become aware of a man who had multiple theories on tactical uses of ESP. Angelo Spinelli was an Italian who had spent his lifetime learning everything he could about ESP. Since the Russians seemed to be very interested in the subject, it convinced other countries, including the US to investigate it also. When Billy explained the assignment to Lee, he argued that it was foolish for an experienced agent to waste three months on this assignment. This was something that any inexperienced agent would have been perfectly capable of doing. Billy wouldn't hear of it though and finally declaring in his authoritative voice that the assignment was an order. Billy had softened when he saw Lee's face drop and he had jokingly concluded the argument by saying that maybe this assignment would keep him out of trouble for a while.

In order to avoid suspicion, Lee would pose as an American student who had gone to Italy to study abroad at the University of Milan. He would arrive in Italy just in time to be registered for the special summer session that the university had asked Angelo to teach. Angelo Spinelli was considered to be the foremost expert in the world on ESP, so the university was proud to bring him on as a guest lecturer for this special course. The heavily advertised course had filled quickly. Billy warned Lee that most of his classmates would probably be Intelligence Operatives from many other countries.

After packing and moving his apartment into a Government storage facility, Lee headed to Milan for what was supposed to be three months. The agency had rented an apartment for him in a building that housed other university students. Lee hated it the moment he stepped inside as the place reeked of nicotine. It seemed that almost every Italian student heavily chain smoked. Lee didn't fit in with any of them and this was just another reason.

On the first day of the class, Lee arrived early so he could observe the others who entered the classroom. It soon became obvious that most of them were inexperienced agents who were still learning how to be discrete.

After class that day, it seemed like everyone wanted to talk with Angelo. Lee realized that his plan of taking Angelo out for a drink so he could talk privately with him was going to have to wait. During the long flight to Italy, Lee had continued to stew about being stuck there for three months. He made the decision that if he could obtain the information that Angelo was teaching ahead of time, then there would be no reason for him to stay there. Of course it would be different if he had companionship during that time, but he didn't know anyone and had no desire to hang out with other operatives.

For two long weeks, Lee tried to get to talk to Angelo after class but the line continued to be long and Lee soon realized that it was pointless. One day he made a comment about it under his breath and a classmate suggested he try to catch Angelo in his office. There were strict rules that students were not supposed to go to the offices without permission from their teachers, but Lee was getting desperate. He had been spending nearly every night at a local bar. He found that the night life was so boring that he was in bed early every night. The smell of nicotine made him sick and he just wanted to go back to the States where he was comfortable and had plenty of women who would want to go out with him at a moment's notice.

Finally one day, he made up his mind that he would find Angelo outside of class. He climbed the stairs to the 5th floor and began looking for Angelo's name on the office doors. As he was about to give up, he noticed that a piece of paper with Angelo's name was taped to a door at the end of the hallway. He was even more relieved when he discovered that the office door was wide open. As he entered the room, he was amazed at the wall hangings that adorned Angelo's office and couldn't help but study each of them. They were various posters with facts about ESP and each of them was signed by Angelo. Suddenly he heard a voice ask him if she could help him. He spun around quickly as he hadn't noticed that he wasn't alone. It was the first time that he noticed the young woman who was sitting at a desk in the corner. He immediately became tongue tied as he stared at her. She smiled and asked him again if there was something she could do for him. Maybe he had been away from the dating scene too long or maybe he was just lonely; but he was convinced that she was the most beautiful woman he had ever met. He realized he needed to say something so he blurted out that he would love to take her out to dinner that night. His heart nearly stopped until she smiled again and told him that she would love to go out with him. She teased him then by asking him if that was why he had come all the way to the 5th floor, He admitted that he had wanted to see Angelo, but that he just remembered something important he had to do. He asked her if she could meet him back at the university at 5pm and she agreed. Lee had then tried to keep his composure as he hurried out the door and headed for the stairs. As he was leaving the building, he realized that he didn't even know her name.

He hurried back to his apartment. As he got ready for the date, he kept wondering if she had agreed only to humor him. He was sure that he would arrive and find that she hadn't showed up. He couldn't believe how silly he had acted. One would think that this was the first date he had ever gone on.

At 5pm promptly, he walked up to the front of the university and felt a huge wave of relief when he discovered that she was already waiting for him. He introduced himself as she flashed that beautiful smile and told him that her name was Eva. He extended his arm and they walked side by side to a quiet, nearby café so they could talk and get to know each other. She was Angelo's research assistant and she didn't hide the fact that Angelo was dating her also. Being competitive, Lee took it as a challenge to win her over and make her realize that she didn't need Angelo. It was to be the first of many dates that he would take her on. He treated her to candlelight dinners at expensive restaurants and took her dancing. They would spend hours strolling hand in hand through the streets of Milan. It became harder and harder for him to concentrate on the reason he was there.

The three months went by quickly and Lee was supposed to return to the states. By that time, he was sure he was in love with Eva. He remembered how angry Billy was when he called to tell him that he was taking a leave of absence so he could remain in Italy awhile longer. Billy had exploded and told him that he was needed back there. Lee had reminded him that it was originally Billy's idea to send him to Italy in the first place. Billy demanded to know if the reason was a woman and Lee admitted that it was. Billy was angry, but he warned Lee to be careful. Lee promised he would.

That weekend, he asked Eva to go away with him for a romantic week in Venice. She threw her arms around him and happily agreed. They each packed what they needed and took a train. During the three hour trip, they flirted, teased and spent a lot of time just staring at each other with eyes full of desire. He had rented a luxurious honeymoon suite for such a special week. As soon as they arrived in Venice, they took a cab and checked in at the hotel. They both felt the same urgency as they hurried upstairs to be alone. Before they could barely get in the door, they were in each other's arms and kissing furiously. There was something different about Eva. Normally he would have taken any other woman to bed long ago but he had waited with her. He truly felt something for Eva that he had never felt before. Everything had to be perfect for their first time. The staff had placed lit candles around the room and rose petals adorned the bed. A bottle of champagne was chilling just inside the door and soft jazz music was playing in the background. They barely noticed any of that as Lee scooped her up and carried her to the bed. They made love all night long while taking short naps curled up in each others arms in between. They were both awake in time to stumble out onto the balcony to watch the sunrise. Soon their kissing had heated up again and Lee carried her back inside. The rest of the morning continued on much like the night had until early afternoon when they realized that the sun would be setting in a few hours. They finally got out of bed and put on the matching hotel robes. Eva went in to take a shower while Lee stood on the balcony and stared at the beautiful scenery below as he was lost in his own thoughts.

They spent the week in Venice doing all the things that newlyweds do including romantic gondola rides and watching the sun set as they snuggled and kissed. At night, they made passionate love and then cuddled together as they slept. Towards the end of the week, it began to rain with no end in sight. Lee remembered how disappointed Eva had been that the rain was ruining their romantic week. He refused to allow the rain to put a damper on such an amazing time. So just before sunset that night; he insisted that they go do something. She was reluctant at first, but then finally agreed. At the time, he didn't have a plan, but he knew it had to be something special. As they arrived at the banks of the canals, they could hear someone playing a violin nearby. He pulled her into his arms, and they began waltzing in the rain. People watched from inside the cafes and many of them clapped and cheered them on as they barely noticed. They were so absorbed in staring into each other's eyes that they didn't seem to care that the rain was drenching them. They kept their kisses light but Lee continued to sweep her all over the banks of the canal as the rain continued to fall. Lee felt his heart swell each time Eva smiled at him. The violin player stopped playing after awhile but Lee wasn't ready to end this moment so the two of them waltzed for hours on the banks to their own internal song. When the lights began coming on, they both finally realized that they were soaking wet and that it was dark outside. They both laughed as they agreed to go back to their suite. It had all been so magical. Lee was sure that Eva loved him as much as he loved her. Looking back, he wished that he had asked her to marry him that week. He had been so foolish because he thought he had all the time in the world.

They had taken the train back to Milan the next day. Eva had snuggled up to him the whole way back with her head on his chest. Since the surrounding seats in the train were empty, Lee poured his heart out to her. He told her who he really was and what he did for a living. She had been shocked at first, but then became very interested in knowing everything about his job and his position at the agency. He asked her if she would be comfortable being with someone in his line of work. She had tilted her head to look into his eyes and then she smiled that sweet smile that he loved. "Of course I would be; I love you, Lee." Lee had been thankful that she had put her head back onto his chest and snuggled closer so that she couldn't see the surprised look on his face. They both grew silent in their thoughts. Lee's emotions were churning out of control. She loved him; she told him that she loved him. He realized that he should have told her that he loved her back, but he wasn't ready to admit that yet. He was struggling to admit it to himself. He had never felt like this before and he couldn't believe that it had happened so quickly. Everything was happening too fast and he needed time to figure out what he really wanted. In his heart, he knew that he loved her and he hoped she would understand that he just wasn't ready to tell her yet.

The next couple of months flew by. It didn't seem possible that it was already December. It was during that time that Lee discovered that Eva was sleeping with Angelo too. Deep down, he hadn't wanted to know about her relationship with him so they didn't talk about Angelo much. After realizing the truth, he knew he had to make a decision. He began visiting area jewelry stores and looking at rings. He finally found the one he thought would be perfect and bought it.

Meanwhile, Angelo had kept busy with lectures about Tactile ESP and many people still flocked to them. Lee had attended a couple of them but Angelo didn't really include anything new in any of them so it was a waste of time to go. Billy had been calling him and leaving messages wanting to know what was going on and when he would be returning. He threatened that he would lose his job soon if he didn't come back. At that moment in time, nothing mattered; just Eva.

On a Saturday afternoon in January, Lee decided it was time to ask Eva to marry him. He had suggested they meet at their favorite café which just happened to be the one where they had their first date. He arrived early and took a corner booth. His hands were shaking as he waited for her to arrive. His hand kept checking to make sure the ring was still safely in his pocket. As usual, she was late which meant that Lee was a total bundle of nerves while waiting for her. She finally arrived and came running into the café all out of breath. He hugged her and asked her if she was okay. That was when she told him; Angelo had asked her to marry him. It felt like someone had punched Lee in the stomach as he tried to remain emotionless. In barely a whisper; he asked what her answer was. His whole body went numb as she happily announced that she had accepted. She rambled on and on about all the details while seemingly unaware of how her news had affected Lee. He finally interrupted her to tell her that he was happy for them, but that he remembered something he had to do.

After quickly leaving the café, he had spent the rest of the day walking aimlessly around Milan while trying to get his thoughts and emotions under control. Everywhere he went reminded him of Eva. How did he let this happen? Didn't she realize how much he loved her? He had taken out the ring several times to look at it. He felt like his whole body was numb. He kept hoping that it was a dream and he would wake up and still have a chance to ask her to marry him first.

He decided that the only sensible thing to do was to get drunk. He spent several hours at his favorite bar until it deadened some of the pain. Then he managed to stumble back to his apartment later that night. His whole world had just crashed in on him all because he had been too afraid to tell her that he loved her. He had been too afraid to ask her to marry him. Maybe if he hadn't been so pigheaded and had shown her the ring, maybe she would have agreed to marry him instead. Lee was convinced that her mind was already made up, showing the ring would have just made matters worse. It was time for Lee to go home. Having made a decision, he finally fell into a troubled sleep.

On Sunday, he packed his things and spent the day feeling lost, frustrated and overwhelmingly sad. His last day in Milan was not a good day at all. Eva had tried to call him a couple of times but he had let the machine pick it up. That afternoon, he called Billy and asked for his job back. Billy yelled and ranted at him until he realized that Lee was silent. He then asked Lee if he was okay and Lee simply said "I need to come home." Billy told him that he would book the flight for the morning and pick him up at the airport when he arrived Monday night.

Early Monday morning, before his flight, Lee walked to the jewelry store and returned the ring. He then took a bus to the airport and headed home. That night when Billy picked him up, he took him to an all night lounge where the two of them spent the night talking about what had happened. Billy was the closest thing that Lee had ever had to a father and he knew Billy would understand.

The next day, Billy helped Lee find a new apartment and after signing the lease, a moving company was hired and moved Lee in. Lee had worked alone for a long time but Billy decided that he needed a partner. Eric had transferred from another department earlier that year and still had not been paired up with anyone so Billy began assigning the two of them to work together. Lee delved in harder than ever into his work and volunteered for every holiday or extra case that presented itself. Billy tried to get him to slow down, but he wouldn't listen to him.

As Eric became closer to him, he was able to get Lee to open up. During an overnight stakeout, Lee shared with Eric his story about Eva. Between Eric and Billy, they had helped him through many of his emotions, but they had not found a way to mend his broken heart. He made a vow to himself that he wouldn't allow another woman to get that close to him emotionally ever again. He would date women, treat them well, have fun with them and then respectfully move on to the next one if things became too emotional. One broken heart in a lifetime, he had decided, was enough.

The loud speaker came on as the final descent to Dulles Airport was announced. Lee pulled his seat back up straight and waited for the plane to land so he could deplane. As he stared out the plane window at the dark runway with its bright runway lights, Lee could think of only one thing; Angelo and Eva were in D.C. He knew he should stay away from them, but he knew just as much that he couldn't. He had to see them; her. Maybe seeing her again would finally allow him to put her behind him. He had not spoken to her since she told him she was going to marry Angelo. Yet, the memories of their time together never stopped haunting him. He realized he needed to see her so that he could truly convince himself that it was over. If Eva had moved on and was happy with Angelo than Lee would be forced to be happy for them and he would finally find the closure he craved. At least, he hoped it would work that way.

It would be daylight soon. There was no sense in trying to get any sleep. He would spend the next couple of hours trying to keep his emotions under control before heading into the agency. .

**TBC**


	18. Chapter 18 - Without Lee

**Chapter 18 – Without Lee**

Amanda had missed working for the agency the past couple of weeks. To keep her mother from being suspicious, she would take a ride sometimes and drive by the agency or ride by Lee's apartment to see if it looked like he was back. She was disappointed each time to see that he hadn't returned yet. She hoped he was okay. She couldn't help but worry about him. Since it was a need to know assignment, she didn't even know where he was. She thought about calling Mr. Melrose a few times but she knew he couldn't tell her anything. With Lee gone, the agency didn't have a need for her services.

SMK SMK SMK SMK SMK SMK SMK SMK SMK SMK SMK

Billy had hated lying to Lee, but as soon as he learned that Angelo Spinelli had been rescued and was being smuggled to the states; he knew he had to try to protect Lee. It was Billy who had picked a broken Lee up at the airport just about 2 years ago when he returned from Italy. Lee had been through much heartache in his young life, but his love affair with Eva had nearly destroyed him. After getting Lee's luggage that night, Billy had taken him to an all night lounge and let him get drunk as Lee told him about the past six months. Since that time, Lee had never been the same. He dated a different woman every week and he didn't allow anyone to get close to him. Billy thought he had found the best solution when he paired Lee with Eric. The two of them had gotten along great. After a few months, Lee had come to trust Eric so much that he told him about Eva. Eric, of course, had gone to Billy for advice and Billy had told him that it was excellent that Lee trusted him that much. Since partners needed to be there for each other, it meant that Lee was allowing Eric to get close to him. Then tragedy struck when Eric was killed. Lee blamed himself because the bullet had been meant for him and Eric had died in his place. Billy could do nothing but watch as Lee fell apart again. Lee tumbled back into those old routines of pushing himself harder and harder at work to the point of exhaustion. Lee also went back to taking huge risks and not caring about his own life. He wanted only the most dangerous assignments and didn't seem to care what rules he broke or who he ticked off to get the job done. If not for Billy, he would have been fired from the agency, but Billy knew how much he was hurting. He just had to find a way to help Lee move through that pain.

Billy had been so thankful when Lee picked Amanda to give that package to. Amanda had a motherly way about her that gave her the strength and the stubbornness to stand up to his attempts to continuously push her away. Lee had built strong walls around himself and he wasn't prepared to have someone try to break them down. Amanda was so different from the other people who had come into Lee's life. She didn't seem to mind his rude behavior as he fought her every step of the way. She wasn't looking for anything romantic from him so she didn't let him bother her most of the time. When he did push the limit too far, she didn't back down and would argue with him until he listened to her. As time had gone on, Billy noticed that Lee had become very protective of her. He no longer sought out the extremely dangerous assignments because it put Amanda in harm's way. Not that it really mattered, since the two of them seemed to find their own danger together. Amanda had definitely given Lee a reason to be more careful. Their partnership was unique and it worked well, even if Lee wasn't ready to see it that way yet. Billy had taken some heat from other departments about pairing an experienced agent like Scarecrow with a civilian, but Billy had been in this business long enough to see a good team. Lee and Amanda made a good team.

The problem was that Amanda had only been in Lee's life for a few months. Billy was worried that even Amanda couldn't reach him if Eva's memory came back to haunt him. Billy was sure that Lee still thought about her now and then, but he knew that he had put most of the hurt behind him. If he was aware that Angelo was arriving soon, it would likely bring back all those old heartaches.

The days waiting for Angelo's arrival went by slowly. Billy had sent Lee on his mission knowing full well that he wasn't needed there. Billy knew that Ehsan had everything under control and that there would be very little that Lee could do to help him. So, Billy had arranged for Vinnie to escort Lee to make him believe that he was needed and to keep him there until Angelo was safely relocated with his new identity. Billy's plan was completely ruined when Vinnie called him to let him know that he had lost Lee. Billy had been angry because now he had no way to know where Lee was. He could only hope that Vinnie could somehow locate him or that Lee's mission would keep him away long enough for Billy to accomplish his task of relocating Angelo.

The official word finally came on Friday that Angelo would be arriving in a crate on Sunday afternoon. Francine made all the arrangements for him to be brought to the agency where they would help him begin to acclimate to his new home. There was just one more piece to finish this puzzle. Billy picked up the phone and made the call that he had been waiting to make for several days now.

SMK SMK SMK SMK SMK SMK SMK SMK SMK SMK SMK SMK SMK

Amanda had kept busy the past few days by cleaning her house from top to bottom. It was finally Friday afternoon and the boys came home to find their rooms had been organized and cleaned. They complained loudly that their stuff had been put away and now they didn't know where anything was. Amanda had kissed them both and told them that if they would keep their stuff picked up, she wouldn't have to clean their rooms for them. Her Mother had watched the exchange and waited for the boys to run upstairs.

"Dear, is there something you need to tell me?"

"Like what Mother?" Amanda asked as she pretended to look for a pot under the sink.

"Darling, did you lose your pet sitting business?"

"Oh no, Mother. Why would you think that?"

"Well I can't help but notice that you are moping around here all the time and trying to stay busy."

"I'm not moping Mother." Amanda insisted.

"You know, you don't fool me, dear. I always know when something is wrong. You can tell me if you lost the business. I can tell you don't want to talk about it, but if you do, I'm always here to listen." Dotty said as she sat down at the kitchen table with the newspaper crossword puzzle.

"Thanks for worrying, Mother, but I didn't lose the business. It is just a little slow right now. It will pick up again soon." Amanda said just as the phone began to ring.

Amanda quickly picked it up and cheerfully said "Hello?"

"Oh good, I caught you at home Mrs. King. How are you doing? How is your family?" Billy asked her.

"Oh hi, Sir. We are all good." Amanda answered as she tried to move out of the area and away from her Mother while she lowered her voice.

"Is Lee back, sir?"

"No, not yet. I do have an assignment for you though if you are interested."

"You do? I mean, without Lee?" Amanda asked a little too loudly and then lowered her voice when she noticed her Mother looked up from her crossword puzzle.

"Oh sure, this is an easy assignment Amanda. Can you come to the agency at 9am on Monday?"

"I'll be there. Thank you Sir." Amanda said as they hung up.

"Who was that dear?" Dotty asked.

"I just got a new client Mother." Amanda said with a forced smile.

"Oh that's nice dear." Dotty responded as she went back to her crossword puzzle.

Amanda found the pot she had been looking for and began to make dinner as she wondered what kind of assignment she could do without Lee. It wouldn't be the same without him there to work with. She wondered again if he was okay.

**TBC**


	19. Chapter 19 - Timing is Everything

**Chapter 19 – Timing is Every Thing **

It had been a sleepless night and Lee had been watching the clock for the past couple of hours.

The clock read 7am as Lee picked up the phone and made the phone call.

"Hi Dick, yeah, it's me Lee."

"I just got back. So what's been happening while I was gone?" Lee asked.

Lee listened intently as Dick filled him in.

"You don't say? So he is already there?" Lee prodded Dick for more information.

"Really? Billy has asked Amanda to come help? What time is she supposed to be there?" Lee asked.

Lee listened as Dick answered his questions.

"Thanks Dick. I appreciate the information. I'll see you soon." Lee said as he hung up the phone.

Amanda would be at the agency at 9am so Lee needed to get moving if he was going to arrive shortly after that.

**TBC**


	20. Chapter 20 - Cup of Tea

**Chapter 20 – Cup of Tea**

Amanda had arrived at the agency with conflicting emotions. On one hand, she was excited that Billy believed in her enough to give her an assignment without Lee, but on the other hand, it felt very weird to be working without him.

Agent Dick met her in the Georgetown entrance and escorted her down to the bull pen. Amanda made her way to Billy's office and knocked. Billy yelled "Come in!" but immediately stood up when he saw that it was Amanda who entered.

"Mrs. King, I'm so glad you could come." Billy said with a big grin.

"I'm glad to be here, Sir." Amanda said with a smile back.

Billy used the intercom to ask Francine to join them.

Billy and Francine took turns telling Amanda about how Angelo had been packed in a crate and shipped on a boat from Russia and now was a bundle of nerves. They explained how since Amanda was nothing like a government type, she would be the perfect person to help calm him down since his time in Russia caused him not to trust the Government. At first she was thrilled to realize that they were giving her a chance to put her new found spy skills to use, but then she realized that they only needed her to help him with every day life skills. She was disappointed at first, but at least they still were asking her to help. She knew she really could use the money and it would give her something to do while she waited for Lee to return.

After Billy explained that Angelo was the foremost authority in the world on ESP and that the Russians had tried to force him to help their military with it; Amanda realized just how important this assignment was.

Amanda still was uncomfortable about the idea of working without Lee and feltshe needed to express her feelings to Billy. Billy tried to explain to her that Lee would understand and that he was away on an assignment anyway when suddenly Lee opened the door. Amanda didn't notice the guilty look that was now on Billy's face since she, herself, felt guilty too for taking on the assignment without him. Lee asked Billy why Amanda was working alone and Francine tried to explain that she would have the whole relocation team there to help her, but Lee cut Francine off. Amanda watched Lee as he just stared at Billy while waiting for an explanation from him. Billy explained relocation cases weren't something that Lee normally was involved with. He finished his explanation by stating that he felt that Lee wouldn't want to be involved in any case with Angelo Spinelli. Amanda could tell by Billy's tone that there was some tension in the room. She tried to defuse the situation by saying that the case was more her cup of tea, but Lee seemed upset and demanded to talk to Angelo.

Billy followed Lee out of the office as he went in search of Angelo. Amanda stood staring after them and was very confused as to what had just happened. Finally she turned to Francine and asked "Why did Lee seem angry?"

Francine sighed and said "Well Amanda, I guess you have a right to know. Lee almost married Angelo's wife. We never knew completely what happened, but Eva decided to marry Angelo instead. Unfortunately Billy didn't get a chance to tell Lee that Eva was killed in prison months ago. He's probably going to be pretty shaken up when he finds out. This talk with Angelo could take awhile. Why don't you go to the break room and someone will come and get you when they are ready to go."

Amanda nodded halfheartedly and headed for the break room. She slumped into a chair and became lost in her thoughts. Lee almost got married? Why didn't he ever tell her that? She knew that he liked to keep his life a secret, but lately he had begun sharing bits and pieces of his past with her. She found herself disappointed that he didn't trust her enough to share something so important with her.

**TBC**


	21. Chapter 21 - Being Slammed By the Past

**Chapter 21 – Being Slammed by the Past**

Lee hurried into the agency right at 9am. He knew that Amanda was always prompt so he was sure she was already in Billy's office. Dick confirmed it as Lee walked by him. As he neared Billy's office, he could hear them talking inside. Amanda was explaining how she felt strange working without him and Billy was telling her that Lee was out of the country. It was a perfect time to make his presence known so he opened the door without knocking. One look at Billy's face told him that he was right about Billy trying to keep him away from Angelo. "I want to talk to him" Lee demanded as he left the office and headed for one of the many conference rooms without waiting for Billy to answer him. Billy tried to stop him by telling him he needed to know some things, but Lee wasn't in the mood for any more of Billy's stall tactics.

As he entered the room, Angelo's appearance took him by surprise. He had aged a lot in just the two years since he had last seen him. He no longer seemed like the energetic, self-absorbed, driven man who had shared his passion of ESP during his lectures. In fact, he seemed very sad for a man who was no longer in prison. Lee put a smile on his face and shook Angelo's hand.

As they talked about the past, Lee couldn't wait any longer and interrupted their reminiscing to ask where Eva was. It took all of Lee's resolve to not collapse when Angelo informed Lee that Eva was dead. He sadly explained how the Russians had killed her while trying to get Angelo to agree to use his ESP theories for their military. Lee had known that Angelo had spent months in Lubyanka Prison, but Billy had kept Eva's death a secret. Now it was all making more sense.

As Angelo kept explaining what had happened, Lee managed to sit down, but he wanted to tell Angelo to shut up. It all had to be all lies; it couldn't be true. His beautiful Eva had to still be alive. He loved her; she couldn't be dead. Lee knew it was true though as he struggled to keep breathing and his fist threatened to smash up the table. It felt like someone just ripped his heart out and left it on the table in front of him. As he voiced his denial of Eva's death and stated that he didn't want to believe it, Angelo admitted that he knew that Lee had been in love with his wife. Lee wondered what else he knew. Had Eva told Angelo all about him? It didn't matter now because she was dead.

Lee excused himself and abruptly left the room. He hurried into the men's room and found an empty stall. He put his head against the wall and fought to control his tears. Every one he cared about always died. Deep down, he had always hoped that someday Eva would realize that she had made a mistake and would divorce Angelo. In his dreams, he always pictured that she would come to the states looking for him and he would have a second chance. Not once during any of those dreams did she ever end up dead. Lee struggled to compose himself. It wasn't like him to show emotion and he needed to get himself under control before he went back to the bullpen. About twenty minutes went by without Lee realizing it when the bathroom door opened.

"Lee, are you in here?" Agent Dick called out.

"Yeah, hang on, I'm coming out." Lee said as he wiped any traces still left of his tears from his eyes.

As he came out of the stall, Dick asked "You okay?"

"Yeah, just fine. I'm sure that Amanda is waiting for us."

"Yeah, Francine introduced her to Angelo and the two of them have been talking about what she intends to teach him so they want to get going."

"Okay, tell them that I'll meet them at the van."

"Sure thing Lee. Lee, I'm sorry about Eva." Dick offered quietly.

"Yeah, me too. Thanks Dick."

Dick nodded as he left the restroom.

Billy had told him that he shouldn't be involved in this case but somehow it seemed more important than ever for him to see it through. Lee knew that Eva would want him to see it through.

**TBC**


	22. Chapter 22 - The Tour Guide

**Chapter 22 – The Tour Guide**

Amanda was still staring into space when Francine came back to the break room to take her to the conference room so she could meet Angelo. She was surprised that Lee wasn't there. She smiled at Angelo and held out her hand so they could shake. His hands were cold and his grip was very soft which made Amanda realize even more that this man was hurting. She kept the cheeriness in her voice as she said "Hi Angelo, I'm Amanda King. The agency asked me to show you around the area and teach you where to go for the basic things here."

"Hi Amanda. They told me that you would be nice. I appreciate you helping me."

"Oh, it's no trouble. I'm glad to help. It must be scary being in another country but I'm sure you are happy to be away from Russia."

"Yes, well it is hard to go on without Eva but she would want me to."

Amanda lowered her voice to a comforting level and said "I was sorry to hear about your wife."

"Thank you Amanda. She took care of me so I never needed to do all these basic things as you call them."

"It's okay. We will show you everything. The agency will help you out until you are fine on your own. Don't you worry about a thing."

"Do you think we can go soon?" Angelo asked.

"I'm not sure what we are waiting for. Let me go check." Amanda responded.

At almost that same moment, Francine entered the room.

"Okay Angelo, we have a van ready out front for all of you."

Francine led them outside where Lee was waiting for them in an unmarked agency van. They all got inside and Lee drove them through various sections of town. Amanda pointed out all the important spots to Angelo which included the local grocery store, along with the post office and the Hospital, the bowling alley, Movie Theater, coffee shop and a park. At noontime, Lee suggested they stop for something to eat.

As Lee placed their order and waited for it, Amanda sat with Angelo and talked about his new identity and setting up credit. Angelo's frustration with all of it was obvious and Amanda didn't know what to say. She knew he would need time to absorb everything. She decided to let him look over the papers while she went to talk to Lee. As she began telling him how Angelo really missed his wife, she couldn't help but ask him about Eva. The far away look in his eyes as he talked about her told the story better than any words could. His memories still carried a lot of pain.

The food arrived at that moment which saved Lee from any further questions about Eva. He carried the tray to their table and sat beside of Amanda as they ate. Angelo barely touched his food until Amanda scolded him that he needed to keep up his strength. The conversation during lunch consisted mostly about where Angelo could work out and what tv channels were the best for sports, news and the weather.

After lunch, they drove around for another couple of hours as Amanda showed Angelo everything she could think of that he would need. She could tell he was becoming overwhelmed so they decided to go back to his new home. They did a walk through and made sure that Angelo knew where all the light switches were and how to run each of the appliances. It had turned dark outside so Amanda knew she needed to go home soon, but she still had things on her list that Angelo needed to know. As she began going over them, Lee was telling him things from his list at the same time. Poor Angelo looked like he was at a tennis match as he tried to listen to both of them at once. Amanda finally realized that there was no sense in her going any further as Angelo couldn't concentrate on both of them at once. There would be time in the coming days to go over all these items again. She needed to get home to help put dinner on the table for her family. Being a tour guide all day was tiring.

"So Angelo, I have to get home now but I'm sure you are in perfectly safe hands with Lee being here. He is one of the best." Amanda said with a smile. "Now, earlier, I made some spaghetti and meatballs for dinner. I'm sure it is not nearly as good as back home, but at least you won't go hungry. I left it on the stove to keep warm. I'll be back sometime tomorrow morning and we will continue where we left off, okay?"

"Yes, okay. Thanks again Amanda. It has been a long time since I have had Spaghetti and meatballs so I'm sure it will taste great. We'll see you tomorrow." Angelo said with a halfhearted smile.

"I'll walk you out Amanda." Lee offered. He walked with her to the front door. "Seth is parked on the side. He can take you back to your car at the agency. Will you be okay?" Lee asked.

"Oh, I'm fine. The question is; are you okay Lee?"

"Sure I'm fine. Why would you ask?" Lee responded with a fake grin.

Amanda looked at him with that motherly look of hers and then said "Okay, well I'll be back early tomorrow. Make sure that you both get some sleep."

"We will. Oh and Amanda?"

"Yes?" Amanda asked.

"You do make a great tour guide. Thanks for your help with this."

"You are welcome. Good night Lee."

Amanda walked out to meet the agency man. She noticed that Lee had watched her to make sure she got into the car safely. She waved to him and he lifted his hand partway to give a wave. He then walked back into the house and shut the door. Amanda couldn't help but feel sad that both of those men were hurting over the same woman. She hoped they could continue to talk about it and work it out together. For now, she just hoped that they would have a peaceful night.

**TBC**


	23. Chapter 23 - The Unexpected Arrival

**Chapter 23 – The Unexpected Arrival**

After Amanda left, Angelo told Lee that he was going to go help himself to some of Amanda's spaghetti that she had left for him. He asked Lee if he would like to join him. The two of them went to the kitchen where a huge pot of spaghetti and meatballs was being kept warm on the stove. Lee pulled plates out of the cupboard and put them on the countertop while Angelo pulled out the silverware and grabbed some napkins. They each took a plate and then took turns scooping out a small amount of spaghetti. They then politely took a seat at the kitchen table across from each other. The room became quiet as they both pretended to be extremely focused on eating. Lee found himself pushing the spaghetti around on his plate as if trying to convince someone he had eaten. Angelo cleared off his plate while observing Lee. He finally broke the ice by asking Lee "You don't like spaghetti?"

"Oh, I love spaghetti, but I think I ate too much at lunch. I'm not that hungry. Look, why don't I clean all of this up while you go relax, okay?"

"Are you sure, Lee? I can help." Angelo offered.

"No, really." Lee insisted as he began to clear the table.

"Okay, I think I will go lay down then. It has been a long day."

"Yeah, I'll be out in the living room if you need anything." Lee responded with relief, knowing that now he could have some time alone to think.

Lee heard the bedroom door close as Angelo retired to his room. He spent the next hour taking care of the remaining spaghetti so Angelo could have leftovers and then washing the dishes. He just couldn't shut off his thoughts though. Eva was dead. Shouldn't he have known? Shouldn't he have felt something when her life was taken from her? It had been 2 years. He had kept himself busy during that time and so much had happened. Perhaps, it made sense that he wouldn't have sensed that she was in trouble. She had moved on without him. He had thought of her often and wondered if she was happy with Angelo. When he heard that Angelo had been taken prisoner, he wondered whether she was still with him. It occurred to him that Billy had kept quiet about all of this even though he likely knew. That was Billy though; always trying to protect him.

As Lee finished cleaning up the kitchen, he moved out to the living room. He checked to make sure the front door was locked while he looked out into the front yard. He could see the unmarked agency van parked on the street corner. The street lights cast eerily shadows everywhere but there didn't seem to be anything going on outside. Lee walked to the couch and sat down. He realized that there wasn't even a tv to watch. He would have to see if the agency could get Angelo one. With nothing to help divert his thoughts, his mind soon took over. He couldn't help wondering if Eva had ever regretted marrying Angelo? She had invited Lee to the wedding, but he had decided that it would be best not to even respond to the invite. It was better for him not to be there. He wasn't sure if he could have pretended to be happy as he watched her walk down the aisle to meet Angelo. It would have killed him to see her smiling at Angelo as they faced the minister together. He couldn't have imagined the misery he would have felt as Angelo kissed his bride.

On the other hand, if he had been there, maybe he could have objected. Maybe, he would have gotten brave enough to ask Eva not to marry Angelo Just maybe, he would have gotten up the nerve to tell her how much he loved her and wanted to marry her. If she had married Lee instead, she would be alive right now. He could have saved her, but he had let her down. He definitely seemed to have a history of letting people down, but he quickly suppressed those memories from the past. He already had enough on his mind.

Lee realized that he really needed a drink to clear his head. He searched the kitchen, but of course the agency had not stocked any kind of alcohol for Angelo either. He finally decided to lie down on the couch and try to get some sleep. He was an agent and he needed to act like one. If he was going to protect Angelo, he needed to get rest or else he could let his guard down.

As he stretched out on the couch, he tried desperately to get comfortable. His long legs just didn't seem to fit and kept dangling off the end no matter how much he shifted his body. He just couldn't seem to find a comfortable spot. He knew it really wasn't because of the couch though. In his mind, he couldn't let go of the image of waltzing in the rain with Eva. For the first time in many years, Lee allowed himself the right to cry himself to sleep.

**SMK SMK SMK SMK SMK SMK SMK SMK SMK SMK SMK SMK**

Amanda had driven herself home after she picked up her car. Her mother already had a pot of stew ready to be served so Amanda quickly went upstairs and freshened up. She joined her family for a peaceful dinner where they all caught up with each others' day. Dotty asked Amanda about her new client and Amanda found herself weaving a tale about a pregnant, needy Cocker Spaniel who was ready to give birth at any moment.

After dinner, the boys went upstairs to do their homework while Dotty said she was going to tackle cleaning her closet. Amanda found herself exhausted from the day so she decided to turn in early. As she was brushing her hair, her thoughts found their way to Lee. She couldn't help but wonder what Eva had been like? Angelo seemed intense and very intelligent. In her mind, it would have taken an equally strong, intelligent woman to attract him. These days, it seemed like only young, blonde, airhead type girls attracted Lee. Was he that much different back then? After all, Angelo just didn't seem like the type who would like a blonde bimbo. Lee was certainly a puzzle. He had kept Eva at a distance even though he loved her and in the end it had caused him to lose her. She couldn't help but wonder if he had always had a problem with sharing his emotions. Since her experience with men was limited, she wasn't sure if it was normal for a man to struggle when it came to expressing his feelings to the woman he loved. In Lee's case, he had grown up without his parents. Did the lack of a nurturing mother cause him to build up a wall to protect himself from those emotions? After all, the little that Amanda knew about Lee's uncle, it seemed that he wasn't the most loving person for Lee to have as a role model. It would explain why he just didn't seem to know how to share his feelings. It also made sense why she felt like he was always pushing her away but in the next moment; he would seem desperate for her to stay.

Amanda finished preparing herself for bed and then went to check on the boys. They were both sound asleep so she shut off their light and went back to her room. As she got comfortable in bed, her thoughts continued to nag at her. She couldn't help but wonder what kind of person Eva was to captivate Lee in the first place. Out of all the people Amanda knew, Lee seemed the least likely to want to get married. She couldn't help but be intrigued at this mystery woman who seemed to have captured his heart. It was only two years ago, but it seemed like a lot had happened in Lee's life since then. She wondered how many other secrets he held that he never shared with her. She was sure that there were plenty of others. Maybe one day he would trust her to tell her everything. She chuckled as she started to fall asleep at the thought. Imagine, Lee Stetson trusting her enough to share all his secrets. She was sure that day would never come.

SMK SMK SMK SMK SMK SMK SMK SMK SMK SMK SMK

Agent Dick had hurried to Francine's desk and waited for her to look up. "What is it Dick" She finally asked impatiently.

"Francine, I need to see you in the conference room. It is important."

"Can't it wait? It is getting late and I want to go home." Francine whined. 

"No, Francine, it can't wait. Please?" Dick pleaded.

Francine let out a huge sigh and followed him into a conference room down the hall. After they were both in the room, Dick pulled down the blinds and locked the door.

"What is going on here?" Francine asked.

"Francine, we have a problem."

"I would say you have the problem. I need to get back to work."

"Please sit down a minute. We spent some time checking it all out to make sure that it wasn't a scam and it isn't. She's really legit. We checked her story out thoroughly and our sources collaborated it all. It is all true, she is alive, and she is here." Dick finished dramatically.

"Dick! Who and what are you talking about? You are not making any sense. Who is alive and who is here and what story?" Francine asked exasperated.

Dick stopped pacing and stood to look Francine in the face as he slowly answered "Eva Spinelli. She is alive and she is in the first conference room."

"What?! How?! You are sure it is her?"

"Yes, we have checked everything. Here is her file. The men have spent the last few hours scrambling to make sure it was true. Our Intel in Russia confirmed the dates and sent us this picture of her. It is blurry but it looks like her. There doesn't seem to be any holes anywhere; it is Eva Spinelli."

Francine took some time to scan through the summary sheet that Dick handed her. She couldn't stop shaking her head as she quickly read through everything.

"Does Billy know?" Francine said as she looked up at Dick.

Dick gulped and admitted "We were afraid to tell him. We know that he isn't going to like hearing this. We were hoping you would tell him."

Francine glared at Dick for a moment and finally said "I guess I am the only one man enough to do it." As Francine stood up, Dick handed her the file he was still holding and she walked out of the room. She went right to Billy's office and knocked on the door.

"Enter" Billy yelled out.

Francine walked into his office and could tell he didn't seem to be in a good mood.

Francine hesitated for a moment and then said "Billy, I have some news that I need to tell you."

"Oh? Go ahead." Billy responded while putting down his pencil and looking up at her expectantly.

"Well I'm just going to say it Billy. Eva Spinelli is alive and in our conference room?"

"What?" Billy erupted but then struggled to keep his emotions in control. "What do you mean she is alive?"

"I just found out." Francine explained as she handed him the file summary that Dick had given her. Billy took it and glanced at it while waiting for Francine to continue.

"Billy, it seems that when they took her in the room to shoot her, it was staged to convince Angelo that she was dead. The Russians thought that if she was gone, than he would have nothing to live for so he would share his theories with them. They didn't expect him to break down like he did. They had decided not to kill her in hopes of forcing her to help them get as much information out of Angelo as possible. They put her in a cell in solitary so no one would leak that she was still alive. They knew if they made it unbearable for her, she would eventually cooperate with them. However, Angelo's mental breakdown messed up everything since he had to be sent to the hospital. He then escaped before they were able carry out their complete plan."

"You are sure it is her? I want to see her." Billy said as he opened his office door. As Francine led the way to the conference room, Billy was still trying to figure out how any of this was possible. "I don't understand, I'm sorry but I just don't understand." Billy said in exasperation as he followed her. Francine continued to explain that the story had been checked out thoroughly and it seemed to follow with KGB tactics. They had no reason not to believe that it was her. Since neither of them had ever met her, they could only go by the paperwork and the blurry picture that proved that she was indeed really Eva Spinelli.

As they entered the conference room, Francine introduced Eva to Billy. She couldn't help but wonder what Lee had seen in her. She didn't seem like Lee's type.

"I'm Billy Melrose and this is my assistant Francine. I hope you don't mind us asking, but can you tell us how all of this is possible, Mrs. Spinelli?"

Eva smiled and answered "It seems like a dream now. All those months in that dark, cold cell where I thought I would die; all I could think about though was how brave Angelo had been. I knew that I needed to be just as brave for him. They wouldn't tell me anything about Angelo. They like to play mind games."

"But how?" Billy interrupted to ask again.

"I'm not proud of what I did, but a person does what they need to in order to survive. There was a new, young Russian guard that was assigned to watch over me. He hated the assignment because he felt like they treated him like a child. It didn't take me long to realize that he was lonely. I began offering to have sex with him. As time went by, he began giving me news about Angelo. I learned that he had a mental break down and had been sent to a hospital. I asked the guard to help me go to him. He couldn't do that without risking his life though so I made him feel guilty that he had let me down. You see, he thought he loved me. So when word came out that Angelo had escaped, my young lover came running to share the news with me. I convinced him that I needed to go to America to make sure Angelo was okay and to tell him that our marriage was over. I promised the guard that I would return in a month and we could run away together. He was young and stupid and thankfully he believed me. We made a plan for my escape." After taking a deep breath, Eva continued "One night, he had me hit him over the head with a piece of metal I had taken from the bed. I stole his gun, keys and uniform. After dressing up like him, I quietly walked out of the prison and hitched a ride to the airport."

"You didn't have a passport though? How did you get onto a flight?" Billy asked with doubt in his voice.

Eva responded bitterly towards Billy's tone of questioning. "When you are desperate, you lower yourself to any level to get what you need. I walked into the terminal and they refused to sell me a ticket. I told the woman behind the counter that my husband was dying and needed me. I begged her to let me onto the flight. I told her that I had been several hours away visiting family when I got word that he had fallen so ill. I explained that a former colleague called to let me know that he had pulled some strings to get my husband into a hospital in the states for an experimental treatment. I told her that I had rushed right to the airport when I had learned of the news. After arriving there, I had realized that I didn't have any of my belongings or passport. I pleaded with her to understand that he could be dead if I took time to go back for them. In the end, she felt sorry for me and broke the rules to let me on board. Thankfully, no one questioned anything until I landed here. When the customs agents questioned me, I explained who I was and they were the ones who brought me here. Angelo must never learn of what I did. It would upset him greatly to know how I escaped and that he was not able to help me."

"I'm sure Angelo would be happy to know that you did what you had to in order to survive." Billy assured her.

"Where is he? Can I see him?" Eva asked while changing the subject.

Francine took charge and said "It is late and I'm sure your husband needs his rest. We will set you up in a safe house for the night. In the morning, we will reunite the two of you."

"Why can I not see him now?" Eva asked. "Is he okay?"

"Oh yes, he's fine." Billy said with a reassuring smile. "I think Francine is right though. She will make all the arrangements. I'm sure we all could use a good night's rest." Billy concluded as he looked at Francine before he left the room.

Francine asked Eva to wait a minute while she followed Billy out of the room. As she entered his office, he asked her to close the door. "Francine, I have seen a lot of strange things in my life but this one beats them all."

"Do you believe her Billy?"

"Do we have a choice? I mean, her documents are all in order and they confirm what she just told us."

"Angelo is going to be thrilled to have his wife back." Francine said.

"Yeah, I'm sure he is. I'm just not sure how Lee is going to handle it. I knew I shouldn't have let him handle this case."

"Billy, Lee is a professional. He will be fine." Francine said reassuringly.

"I sure hope you are right, Francine. Why don't you go make the arrangements to move her out of here? I think it is going to be a long night for everyone." Billy said with a sigh. He wondered if he should let Lee know, but somehow, he doubted it much mattered. Lee was not going to handle this well no matter how or when he found out.

**TBC**


	24. Chapter 24 - True Feelings

**Chapter 24 – True Feelings**

Amanda woke up the next morning feeling rested. She put on her robe and went downstairs to make breakfast for the boys before they headed off for school. By the sounds of the noises coming from her mother's room, Amanda could tell that she was still tearing apart her closet. Amanda wasn't surprised that she didn't join them for breakfast.

The boys ate quickly so they wouldn't miss their bus. They had each given Amanda a kiss before rushing out the door as the bus pulled up to the curb. Amanda had only partially eaten her breakfast as she found herself alone and lost in her thoughts. She could sense from their conversation yesterday that Lee was not only hurting from learning of Eva's death, but that he still had feelings for her. His experiences had yet toteach him not to bottle up his feelings. Why was it so hard for him to express what he was feeling?

Just as Amanda began to try to focus on the newspaper, her mother came downstairs carrying a hula skirt from her Hawaii trip. Amanda's father had surprised them all when he had given Dotty the trip as an anniversary gift years ago. The grass skirt had become rotten from dampness in the closet and her mother was disappointed as it was the only souvenir she had of the trip. Amanda expressed her sympathy for the skirt. After just a moment's hesitation, Amanda asked her if her father had struggled with admitting that he was in love with her.Dotty told Amanda the story of how he first told her that he loved her. Amanda had never heard it before and it made her smile to hear the story. Dotty told Amanda that many people struggle with their true feelings, but that she hoped she raised her better than that. She then suggested that Amanda tell Dean exactly how she felt. As Dotty headed back to continue her closet rearrangement, Amanda's eyes took on a concerned look at her mother's parting words. Amanda realized that it had been days since she had even thought about Dean. She really needed to have a long talk with him, but she just didn't have time right now. She knew she couldn't keep putting it off though. At this point, she didn't even know what her true feelings for him were anymore. She needed to face that issue soon. Right now, she needed to get over to Angelo's house. There were many more things she still needed to teach him. She also needed to make sure that Lee and Angelo had managed to keep the peace during the night.

**TBC**


	25. Chapter 25 - Some Things Don't Need ESP

**Chapter 25 – Some Things Don't Need ESP**

After a few hours of trying to sleep, Lee knew it was a losing battle and got up. He made a pot of coffee as he wiped the sleep from his eyes. The coffee was nearly brewed when Angelo appeared in the doorway. He had shaved and cleaned himself up and looked a lot more like the man that Lee used to know.

"How did you sleep?" Lee asked him.

"Probably as well as you did, by the looks of things." Angelo answered.

"Yeah" Lee said quietly.

"I think I will take my coffee outside and do some of that yard work that Amanda mentioned." Angelo decided.

"Okay," Lee said as he poured them both a mugful of the steaming hot black liquid.

Angelo picked up his mug and walked outside with it while Lee quickly added some cream to his and then followed him.

Angelo put the mug down on the picnic table and walked over to the huge shed in the backyard. He opened the door and found an array of garden tools. "Lee, can you give me a hand?" he asked as he scooped up rakes, shovels and a bunch of hand tools. He passed the hand tools to Lee to carry back to the picnic table.

As Angelo worked on a bush that seemed to need a little care, Lee got him to talk about why he had gotten involved with the Russians. Lee wanted to try to understand, since things might be so different if he had stayed away from them. Angelo explained that Eva convinced him that it seemed like a tremendous opportunity, at least on paper. Lee could tell that Angelo didn't really want to talk about it.

Lee decided it was time for them to talk about Eva. They had been tip toeing around her every since they had reunited at the agency. Lee awkwardly asked how much Eva had told Angelo about him. Angelo admitted that Eva had told him enough so that he decided he didn't want to hear any more. When she told him what Lee's profession was; he knew that it was serious between them. After all, it didn't take ESP for Angelo to figure out that Lee was in love with Eva.

Before they were forced to continue the conversation, the doorbell rang. Thankful for the interruption to the awkward conversation, Lee automatically reached for his gun and said "I'll get it." Angelo looked on a bit worriedly as Lee headed to the door. Was this to be his life from now on? Somehow he would have to get used to it. Angelo went back to tending his bush.

**TBC**


	26. Chapter 26 - But How?

**Chapter 26 – But How?**

Lee was actually a little relieved when suddenly the doorbell rang and interrupted his conversation with Angelo about Eva. He pulled his gun out as he headed back inside. At the front door, Agent Jenkins told Lee the correct codeword and advised him that he had someone with him.

As Lee opened the door, he had no idea that his whole world was about to be turned upside down. He stood in shock as he locked eyes with Eva Spinelli. All the emotions he had been dealing with the past couple of days all seemed to hit him at once. Eva was alive and she was standing in front of him. But how? His mind was racing so hard and fast that all his manners were gone. Eva finally asked if she could come in. He managed to tell her yes and she walked inside Angelo's new home. As he struggled to keep his emotions in control, he asked her how? She answered by melting into his arms. In that moment, all those old feelings that Lee had been struggling to block out came thundering through his whole body as they hugged. He couldn't believe that Eva was alive. Then as he opened his eyes, he saw Angelo still working outside on the bush. Lee regretfully let Eva go and told her that her husband was right outside. It was the right thing to do, but it definitely was not what he wanted to do.

As he watched the two of them hug, it took all his willpower to remain in control of his emotions. He was after all on duty, and this was his job. He couldn't handle watching them kiss anymore so he forced himself to walk back to agent Jenkins. He needed to find out how this was all possible. Jenkins handed him the envelope with a copy of the file which Lee intended to read as soon as he had a moment. Jenkins also told him the news that the KGB knew that Angelo had made it to the United States. That meant that neither of them was safe.

Suddenly Amanda walked into the house and told Jenkins that she was happy he was there. This left both men a little confused until Amanda came out with Angelo's dry-cleaning. It helped relieve the stressful situation as Lee chuckled that Amanda fell for Jenkins cover. Lee couldn't help but feel relief that Amanda was there. He wasn't looking forward to spending a day watching Angelo and Eva reunite.

**TBC**


	27. Chapter 27 - The Discovery

**Chapter 27 – The Discovery**

As Amanda got out of her vehicle, she walked by the Dry Cleaners truck and was excited that they had showed up without her having to call them. She had spent some time sorting Angelo's clothes the day before. He hadn't brought very much with him, but the few things he had, needed to be cleaned. She rushed by the driver and Lee as she entered the house and grabbed the pile of clothes. She explained what she needed for each item without noticing the look that Lee was giving to her. When the driver didn't make a move to take the clothing, she saw that Lee was smiling at her.

"He's not really a drycleaner, is he?" Amanda asked.

"Um, no." Lee admitted

"No." Amanda repeated while feeling a little silly.

"Hey, it's okay Amanda. At least we know Jenkins cover is convincing." Lee said as he tried to make her feel better. Another time, he might have had fun with her mistake but right now, he wasn't in the mood.

Jenkins headed for the van while Lee closed the door. He picked up the bag of groceries that Amanda had brought in and carried it into the kitchen for her. Amanda followed him while wondering where Angelo was. When they reached the kitchen, Amanda noticed that he wasn't there either. "Where's Angelo?" She asked.

"Angelo?" Lee asked as he put the grocery bag on the counter.

"Yes, Angelo. Lee, are you okay?"

"Am I okay? Sure, I'm okay. Why do you ask that?"

"I don't know. Something seems to be bothering you. Is Angelo okay?"

"Angelo? Yes, Angelo is fine. Amanda, Eva is alive." Lee suddenly blurted out.

"What?" Amanda couldn't hide the shock in her voice. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I'm sure. She's outside with him now." Lee answered sadly.

"Oh my gosh! Angelo must be so happy." Amanda said without thinking. "I mean, he has his wife back after all." Amanda said quickly in hopes of sounding less insensitive.

"Yeah. Look, let me help you put the groceries away and then we'll start where we left off yesterday with showing Angelo around town, okay?"

"Sure Lee." Amanda agreed as they both quickly unpacked the bag of groceries.

"I thought I heard your voice." Angelo said as he led a woman into the kitchen.

Amanda had just put the eggs into the fridge and turned around to meet Eva. Before she could say anything, Eva walked up to Amanda and extended her hand. As she shook Amanda's hand, Eva said "Hi Amanda. I heard that you have been taking such good care of my Angelo."

"Yes, well, it is just part of my job. I work part time for the agency." Amanda explained as she pulled her hand out of Eva's. She couldn't help but notice that Eva had a very firm handshake. Eva seemed to be a very strong willed woman. Amanda was not sure that it was a very endearing quality.

"Nevertheless, Angelo has told me how thorough you have been and that you have been very patient with him. My husband does not like dealing with the minor details in life."

"No, Eva has always handled all the domestic issues in our marriage. Perhaps we could repeat yesterday's tour so she can see where things are located?" Angelo suggested.

"I was going to suggest that." Lee said. "Shall we go?"

They all agreed and after dressing for the outside, they headed out to the van. Lee got into the driver's side while Angelo helped Eva get into the passenger side. Then Angelo and Amanda took the seats in the back. As they drove around the area, Amanda repeated what she had already told Angelo. She found herself studying Eva while trying not to be too obvious.

She couldn't help but wonder why Lee was so drawn to her in the first place. She was a pretty woman who seemed educated and intelligent. However, she was not the type of woman that Lee dated these days at all. In the short time that Amanda had known Lee, she had seen many of the girls that Lee spent time with. They were typically much too young, had long blonde hair, were very immature, and they looked like they hadn't eaten in weeks. On top of that, the ones she had met were definitely not intelligent. Her mother would likely call them blonde bimbos. However, Eva had none of those qualities. Every time Amanda thought that she had Lee figured out, he would throw another curve ball at her.

Amanda spent the day watching Eva and her body language. Something wasn't right but she couldn't quite put her finger on it. Maybe it was the way she smiled at Lee while barely paying any attention to her own husband or maybe it was the fact that she didn't sound like a woman who had been in prison for months. Amanda silently shook her head and chided herself for doubting her. After all, it was more than likely that Amanda was just a little jealous of this woman who was loved by both men. She was not lacking for attention and seemed to be very aware that they both cared about her. Amanda decided that she needed to give her the benefit of the doubt even if all her instincts were bothering her.

Later that afternoon, after they had lunch at a local diner, Eva decided that she was too worn out to continue. They headed back to the house. After freshening up, Eva and Angelo decided to sit outside and talk while Lee made himself comfortable on the couch with Eva's file. Meanwhile, Amanda decided to tidy up the place. She began by spending some time cleaning the bathroom. Once she was satisfied, she glanced into Angelo's room. She realized right away that it could use some straightening up too. Eva had unpacked quickly but not very neatly. Amanda decided it would be a nice gesture to help her out. She opened the curtains to allow the last bit of sunlight to stream into the darkening room while she made the bed. She stored Eva's bag into the closet and hung up the last of the clothes that Eva hadn't unpacked. Then she turned her attention to the dresser. Eva had shoved her belongings so quickly into the drawers that they were unable to close. Amanda took the time to fold her underwear neatly and reorganize it.

As she began organizing the top drawer, she noticed a tube of lipstick on top of the dresser. It took her by surprise because the tube looked almost empty. Amanda picked it up and stared at it for a moment as she wondered if the Russians would have allowed Eva to have her lipstick in prison. For that matter, why would Eva want her lipstick in prison? It wasn't like she was trying to impress anyone there. Or was she? Is that how she escaped? Did she get her freedom by flirting with a guard or maybe by doing more than flirting? Amanda quickly put the lipstick down. It was none of her business how Eva escaped. She went back to organizing the top drawer and suddenly her hand hit an object. She moved the nylon stockings to get a better look at it. It was a container of bath oil beads. The container was fairly large but it contained only enough for probably about two more baths. She picked the container up and felt more puzzled than ever. She could understand smuggling in the lipstick but how in the world did she smuggle in bath oil beads and why? There was just no way that she could have used that many of them in the couple of days she had been out. Did Russia really allow prisoners to have baths? Amanda had a hard time believing they did. So where did the bath oil beads go? Amanda knew that she was being petty though and put the container back.

As she moved the nylons to cover back up the items, it left a hole on the other side of the drawer. Amanda's heart skipped several beats as she stared at what she had just uncovered. Where on earth did Eva get a gun and why was it in this house? Guns were so dangerous and Amanda disliked them _**a lot**_. Amanda knew she should talk to Lee about this but she wasn't sure he was ready to hear any of it. She was more convinced than ever that something wasn't quite right, but none of it was making sense. The one thing she knew she had to do though was to make sure the house was safe. She decided there was only one way to accomplish that. She looked out the bedroom door to make sure no one was in the hallway. She then emptied the gun of its bullets. As she held them, she wondered what she should do with them. She didn't really want to leave them in the room but she had no place to put them and she sure didn't want to carry them. She finally decided to put them on the top shelf in the closet, way in the back. If Eva questioned the gun being emptied, at least the bullets were still there.

Amanda finished up in the room and then headed for the kitchen. Lee was still engrossed in Eva's file. Amanda noticed that the Spinellis were still outside. It was time for Amanda to make dinner. She quickly whipped up an egg casserole and put it in the oven. As she waited for it to bake, she sat down at the table in the kitchen and made out lists. She felt satisfied as she added emergency numbers to the notes on the refrigerator along with phone numbers to local take out places and the nearby movie theater. Just before the timer went off, she remembered that she had clipped an ad for a used car lot that morning out of the paper. Angelo would be in need of a car now and Liberty Larry's always had great ads. She placed the ad under a magnet as the buzzer went off. She was glad because now she could serve them all and then politely excuse herself so she could head home. She had told the boys they could have a friend over since there wasn't any school the next day. There was a conference going on so the school was shut down so the teachers could all attend.

Amanda carried out the casserole dish and placed it on the dining room table. She then went back to the kitchen and soon returned with the plates and silverware. As she was carrying the last of the items from the kitchen, Lee noticed and got up to help her.

"Amanda, there are only three place settings here?"

"I know. That's all you need."

"Aren't you staying?" Lee asked.

"No, I don't think you need me anymore tonight." She replied as put the French bread in the oven to toast.

"You have to stay." Lee said too quickly. "I mean, Angelo and Eva will wonder why you left in a hurry. Can you please stay?" Lee asked while trying not to sound desperate.

Amanda realized that her leaving would be awkward so she reluctantly agreed to stay. After all, she had planned to stay for dinner originally before she found out that Eva was there. Her mother wouldn't be expecting her until later. It would be rude for her to leave. She smiled at Lee and said "Okay, sure I'll stay for dinner. Then I have to get home, okay?"

"Of course. Let me go get those two." Lee said as he hurried to call them in. It was just one evening. Amanda was sure she could survive one dinner with Eva. She just wished that she could figure out what it was about Eva that bothered her so much.

**TBC**


	28. Chapter 28 - King of Avoidance

**Chapter 28 – King of Avoidance**

**A/N: Some of the original dialogue was used in the next chapters. No copyright infringement is intended, I just wanted to piece together the scenes better and it flowed better if I could use the dialogue.**

When Lee realized that Amanda intended to leave already, he knew he had to stop her. It would be hard enough to have to watch Angelo and Eva during dinner. At least with Amanda there, Lee wouldn't be alone with them.

As Angelo took Eva's hand and escorted her inside the house, Lee made a big deal about how great Amanda's casserole smelled.

They were soon all seated and Amanda spooned a serving out to each of them. Lee tried to keep his focus on his food so he wouldn't have to keep noticing the little smiles that Eva was giving to Angelo as they shared what they had each endured the past months. He found it harder and harder to sit there and not say anything. It became apparent that he was the only one not eating though so he quickly devoured what was on his plate. Amanda had gotten up to clear the table after announcing that she had made a chocolate crème pie for dessert. Lee watched her go into the kitchen and thought how he should have volunteered to help her. Instead, he found himself watching Angelo holding Eva's hand while caressing it. They seemed completely oblivious that Lee was even in the room.

Suddenly Amanda emerged from the kitchen with a tray that carried the four plates of pie topped with whipped cream. She handed each of them a plate and then sat down with the remaining one to enjoy herself.

"Amanda, did you make this whipped topping from scratch?" Eva asked.

"Well, yes, of course. I have never really cared for the ones you buy in a can. I prefer to use fresh whipping cream."

"Well, it's very good!" Eva gushed as she spooned another bite into her mouth.

Everyone ate their pie in silence after that. As they were finishing up, Amanda asked "Would anyone like some coffee? I brewed a pot and left it warming."

"I'll get it." Eva said quickly and hurried to the kitchen before Amanda could object.

As she returned with the pot, she raved on about how organized Amanda had left everything for them. Amanda had left the ad for Liberty Larry's on the fridge and pointed out that they could get a car from him. Angelo explained how he didn't trust cars and that they had always walked everywhere in Milan. Lee noticed the smile that Eva gave to Angelo as he talked about the old days. He found it to be increasingly harder and harder to continue to sit there and watch them together. When Amanda got up to clear the table, she insisted that they make a fire in the family room and spend time getting reacquainted again. Lee took that as a perfect opportunity to remove himself from the awkward situation by offering to help Amanda with the clean up. She acted a little surprised at the offer but didn't refuse the help.

Lee helped carry the plates back to the kitchen to join the dinner plates that Amanda had brought out earlier. As Amanda filled the sink full of hot sudsy water and began washing the dishes, he took over the role of drying them. In no time, the dishes were washed, dried and put away. Amanda had put a load of laundry into the washer before they had begun dinner. She returned to the laundry room to move the washed clothes to the dryer.

Lee knew that Amanda would want to leave now so he knew he had to find a way to get her to stay just a little longer. She returned from the laundry room and began wiping down the counters for a final time. Meanwhile, Lee frantically began looking around the kitchen to find a way to stall her.

"Well, would you look at that?" Lee blurted out in a panicked voice.

"What?" Amanda spun around to see what was wrong.

"Amanda, I see cobwebs in the corner."

"You do?"

"Yes, I do. The agency was supposed to have cleaned this place from top to bottom but obviously they didn't. Well I guess that means only one thing!"

"It does?" Amanda hated to ask, but did anyway.

"Yes, it means that you and I will have to clean it ourselves!"

"Now?" Amanda asked as she looked at her watch. It was already 8:30 and she had thought she would be home by now to chaperone the boys and their overnight guest.

"Of course now. I always say there is no time like the present." Lee said as he pulled out a bucket from under the sink and began filling it full of hot water.

"You always say that? I don't think I have ever heard you say that."

"Sure I have, you just haven't been listening. Now look, I'll take care of the ceiling while you wash the walls."

"Lee, wash the walls? Do you really think we need to be that detailed?"

"Amanda, if you are going to do a job, you need to do it right. Now are you going to argue with me or are we going to get this done." Lee asked while hoping that she wouldn't refuse his request.

"Okay, okay. I'll wash the walls." Amanda said as she reluctantly gave in.

For the next two hours, they both kept busy scrubbing the entire kitchen from ceiling to floor until it shined. Amanda had finished sweeping the floor and was standing with the broom watching Lee. She wasn't sure she had ever seen him like this. As soon as she had finished sweeping, he had begun furiously mopping the floor when it clearly didn't need it.

"Don't you think that this kitchen could pass inspection yet?" Amanda asked as she watched him going crazy with the mopping.

"Do I detect a lack of enthusiasm for my work program, huh?" Lee asked.

"My enthusiasm begins to fizzle around 10:30" Amanda answered as she looked at her watch to verify the time. She couldn't believe that she had just spent 2 hours cleaning a kitchen that didn't really need it.

Lee scrubbed the countertops again as he struggled to find a way to keep Amanda from leaving.

Then a thought popped into his head. "Hey, come on. I think we can find ourselves some mean dust bunnies behind this baby. Come on." Lee urged as he tried to pull the fridge out from the wall.

Amanda wouldn't hear of it though and insisted she needed to be home for her sons who were entertaining a guest. Lee knew that the cleaning idea was losing ground so he tried to quickly come up with a new idea.

"Then, uh, let's play cards." he offered quickly.

"Cards?" Amanda asked in a confused voice. "You and I play cards""

"Yeah"

"Why should we play cards? We've never played cards before." Amanda continued questioning while wondering why Lee was acting so strangely.

"Well we can start." Lee argued.

Something in his eyes caused Amanda to finally realize why he was acting this way. "Ohhhhhh!" Amanda said as she tried to hide her smile.

"What?" Lee asked while pretending that this whole conversation between them made total sense.

"You don't want to be here alone ….with ….them." Amanda said knowingly as she pointed towards where Angelo and Eva were sitting in the family room by the fire totally engrossed in conversation with each other.

"Who?" Lee asked. He realized that he wasn't even convincing himself with his denial. "Oh, Angelo and Eva? I never really thought about it. Why would that bother me?" Lee continued to dig the hole deeper.

"Right!" Amanda agreed. "When something is over, it's over. It shouldn't bother you at all. Because it is over." Amanda said smugly knowing full well that this was putting him on the spot.

"You know, I'll bet those things are ready to come out of the dryer." Lee said quickly while changing the subject and heading towards the laundry room.

Amanda was not one to be fooled though and called him on it. "Did you notice how you just ended the conversation?" She asked.

Lee was lost in his thoughts by then though. He returned to stand in front of Amanda and asked "What do you think?"

Amanda couldn't keep up with the way Lee was jumping from subject to subject. "What do I think about what?" She asked with a hint of frustration in her tone.

"Do they look happy together?" Lee asked.

She couldn't keep the confusion out of her voice over this question as she answered. "Do they look happy together?" They were a married couple who thought they had lost each other. Shouldn't they be happy together? Now that Lee mentioned it though, Amanda couldn't suppress those feelings that something still didn't seem right. As she tried to answer Lee's question, she mentioned that she wasn't sure if Eva loved Angelo. Amanda could read a lot in the way couples touched each other and looked at each other and something about Eva's eyes made her feel that she wasn't being totally honest. There just didn't seem to be any magic when she looked at her husband. Oh, Angelo definitely seemed very attached to his wife but Amanda just wasn't sure if Eva really loved him the same way.

Amanda wished she could figure out why her instincts were making her distrust this woman that Lee had such feelings for. Was she just plain jealous that Lee had been involved with her? Why should she be jealous? It wasn't like she was involved with Lee herself. As she explained that she didn't know if Eva really loved Angelo, Lee began smiling.

"Why are you smiling?" She asked.

"What smile? There's no smile." Lee quickly made his face turn somber again.

"It _is_ over, isn't it?" Amanda asked again. Lee should have moved on months ago. To watch him act so lovesick was a different side of Lee than she had ever seen before. He normally went through women like they were candy. She had never seen him date any of them for more than a few weeks without becoming bored with them. She couldn't help but wonder why Eva seemed to captivate Lee so much.

Lee decided that he needed to avoid this question again and told Amanda he needed to check the dryer. Amanda realized that Lee was very much in denial, and there was nothing she could do for him. He would need to work this out on his own. She looked at her watch and couldn't believe that it was already past 11pm. She put the broom away and gathered her things. She stood in the doorway of the family room to say her goodbyes to Eva and Angelo. She sensed that Lee was standing behind her.

"Oh, we didn't realize how late it was either." Angelo said as he looked at his watch. "I think it is time for us to turn in also" Eva nodded and the two of them walked down the hallway to their room. Amanda headed to the door so she could hurry home. As she turned to say goodnight to Lee, she couldn't help but notice the look on Lee's face as he watched the couple walk down the hallway together. His face showed everything he was feeling. In that moment, Amanda knew for sure that for Lee at least, it was definitely not over.

**TBC**


	29. Chapter 29 - In the Dark of the Night

**Chapter 29 – In the Dark of the Night**

It seemed like it had been hours since Lee had lain down on the couch to try to get some sleep. The fire that he had left going in the fireplace caused shadows to dance along the walls and on the ceiling. Lee concentrated on them to try to shut off his mind so he could rest, but it seemed futile.

Lee found himself overwhelmed with emotions. Being told one day that Eva was dead and then the next to have her be resurrected in front of him was almost too much to endure. Of course he was thrilled that she was alive, but she was married. Lee could only be happy that she was alive. Seeing her happy with her husband though was killing him. If only he hadn't waited to ask her to marry him. If only he had at least told her that he loved her. All of that was too late now though.

Lee closed his eyes and really tried hard to fall asleep. He finally decided that just resting his body would be better than no sleep at all. As his body started to enter a restful state, he heard a noise. He immediately picked his head up to listen. A second later, he heard another noise. It was coming from the hallway, near the Spinelli's bedroom. Lee quietly got off the couch and grabbed his gun from the coffee table. He removed it from the holster and started walking down the hallway. As he neared the bedroom, he could hear a voice that sounded like Eva's. As he leaned against the bedroom door, he realized that her voice was coming from the bedroom next to theirs. He wasn't sure what he expected to find when he opened the door and lunged inside, but he was relieved to see she was alone. Having spent time in Italy, he knew enough Italian to be able to tell she was talking to a doctor. He couldn't help but be confused why she would be calling a doctor at 3am.

Eva had ended the call just as Lee burst in on her. She gestured for them to go out to the family room and Lee agreed. She explained that she was calling Angelo's old doctor in Milan as he was showing signs of depression like he had in the past. Lee's training instincts took over and he immediately questioned whether she told the doctor where they were. She assured him that she would not have done that.

To change the subject, Eva asked if she could put on Lee's sweater. He agreed and then she asked him for a cigarette. He had to remind her that he was not a smoker.

As they stood staring at each other, Eva began telling him how she had thought about him often during the past two years. As Lee began to interrupt her to talk about this new information, Eva walked away from him. She stood facing the fire as she struggled to share her emotions with him. She then continued by explaining to Lee that she admired and respected Angelo, but she didn't love him.

Lee could barely believe what he was hearing. Eva continued by suggesting that she might not stay with Angelo. In disbelief, Lee interrupted her, but she continued to explain that she would stay with him until she made sure he was safe and happy. Then, almost as an afterthought, she backtracked and admitted that she might never leave him. Lee found himself back on that roller coaster again. Just when he didn't want to hear anymore, she came back to stand in front of him. As she looked up into his eyes, she confessed to him that she loved him. She had loved him for the past two years. He couldn't believe she was telling him this now. For a moment, his heart leaped with joy as he stared lovingly into her eyes. Then in the next instant, he remembered that she was married and this was a job. He had no business being involved in this case. He had crossed the line and was allowing his personal life to interfere with his duties. Billy had been right all along. He reluctantly turned away from her so he could avoid her pleading eyes. For the next few seconds, he struggled to find his voice. This whole thing was tearing him apart. Eva was a married woman and he had taken on this case while knowing full well that he shouldn't have. Now it was all blowing up in his face by her admitting that she loved him. As he had his back to her, he reluctantly told her that he shouldn't be involved and he would have himself removed from the case the next day. Lee continued to struggle to keep his emotions in control as he realized that removing himself from the case was the right thing to do. Desperately, Eva began pleading with him to admit his feelings. She suggested that things might be so different right now if only he had told her how he had felt back then. The comment tore him apart since he had pondered that same thing so many times over the past two years. He slowly turned back toward her. "How do you feel?" she asked him while pleading with her eyes for an answer.

Lee couldn't express his feelings in words. To tell her now was just too hard. As he stood staring into her tear filled eyes, he found himself lost more than ever in his emotions. His heart took control and he pulled her into an embrace and began passionately kissing her. He let his kiss express all the words that he could not. The memories of making love to her come flooding back to him. He wanted so much to just swoop her into his arms and carry her to the bedroom to make passionate love to her for the rest of the night. Luckily his head took back over from his heart and he realized that they had to stop. By this time, both of them were breathing heavily and it took all of Lee's willpower to abruptly stop kissing her. As he stared with desire into her eyes, he slowly began pushing her away from his chest.

"Did I do something wrong?" Eva asked.

"No, but I almost did," Lee answered as Eva continued to look at him with pouty eyes.

"Lee? You didn't answer the question. How do you feel about me; about us?"

"No, I didn't. Eva. Does it really matter? At the moment you are married to Angelo. I have done a lot of things wrong during my life, but having an affair with a married woman is not one of them. I'm sorry Eva," Lee answered as he swiped his hand through his hair. He had turned away from her again so he wouldn't have to look at her sad eyes anymore. He continued struggling to keep his emotions in check and not do something that he would regret later.

"Not as sorry as I am. I understand though," Eva said sadly as she began to turn toward the hallway. She had only taken a couple of steps and then stopped. "Would it be so bad to just talk though? I have missed you and I would love to hear about what you have been doing since I last saw you. Besides, I'm not tired and I don't want to keep Angelo awake with my tossing around."

Lee hesitated, but in the end he gave in. "Why don't we sit on the couch then?" Lee suggested as he sat down so there was no sign of welcoming her to be close to him. Eva took the hint and sat facing him from the other end of the couch. Lee noticed that she was shivering so he offered her the blanket and she quickly wrapped herself into it.

"So? What do you want to know?" Lee asked.

"I don't know. Do you still like your job?"

"Yeah, I do. It keeps me busy and most of the time, it keeps me out of trouble," Lee said with a grin.

"I'll bet you could get into some trouble with Amanda though," Eva countered back.

"Amanda? Why would you say that?"

"I don't know. I think she likes you."

Lee chuckled while explaining "Amanda wants to be helpful. She likes the intrigue and the excitement of the job. I will admit that she does have some good instincts at times though."

"So she is your partner, yes?" Eva guessed.

"Um, no. I think she believes she is, but you know that I only work alone. The agency called her in for her every day real life skills to help Angelo settle into his new life. That's all."

"I think you protest too much." Eva said with a smile. "Are you sure there isn't anything between the two of you? You seem very comfortable with her."

"Well we have worked several cases together. Trust me; we still fight like cats and dogs most of the time though," Lee admitted as if that as proof enough.

"That sounds like she is your partner then."

"Amanda my partner? No, she is definitely not my partner. She's a divorced mother of two. Billy enjoys making me work with her. We have nothing in common at all," Lee insisted.

"Isn't there an old saying? I recall something about opposites attracting." Eva continued to pump Lee for information.

"Eva! We are complete opposites for sure. Amanda is not interested in me. Look, can we please change the subject?" Lee pleaded while trying to keep his voice sounding normal.

"Oh, okay. So have you found anyone to make you happy Lee? Surely there must be some woman out there who you spend a lot of time with?" Eva continued to try to get him to open up to her.

"No, I really haven't had a lot of time for dating. Besides, not many women would want to become serious with someone in my line of work."

"True but sometimes it is worth the bumpy ride to have the happiness. Don't you agree?" She asked.

"Oh, I don't know. Most of my bumpy rides haven't been much fun, if you know what I mean." Lee reminded her.

"I'm truly sorry Lee. I loved both of you for different reasons. Angelo would tell me all the time that he loved me. I tried to get you to tell me how you felt many times. Unfortunately, you would never tell me. So when Angelo pulled out the ring, I couldn't believe it. I even ran all the way to the café to tell you. I had hoped that if you heard that he had proposed, you would beg me not to marry him. Instead you told me that you were happy for me and congratulated me. As you left the café that day, I was so full of mixed emotions." 

"You were? Well you didn't seem it at the time. I really think we should talk about something else." Lee suggested.

"I'm sorry Lee; I didn't mean to upset you."

"Oh, you didn't upset me. Not really." Lee said unconvincingly. Eva had managed to touch on subjects that he wasn't prepared to talk about. Before she could begin something else that would put him on the spot, he realized he needed to put a stop to their conversation. Looking out the front door, he observed, "Well it looks like it is going to be light soon."

He was relieved that she took the hint and responded reluctantly "I had better go back to bed." She paused for a moment and then continued "Where I belong."

Before she could get up from the couch, there was a sound of smashing glass from the back of the house. Then a man burst through the front door with a gun aimed at both of them. Lee had reached for his gun and drew it at the intruder in front of him. Suddenly two more people came out from the back and Lee knew he was out gunned with no chance against all three of them. He was quickly disarmed by the woman in charge. She ordered one of the men to find Spinelli. A few seconds later, he came back out and announced that Spinelli was gone. When Lee wouldn't tell them where Spinelli was, one of the corporals belted him up side the head.

"Did that help your memory?" The Sergeant asked. "Or should I let Corporal Danilov make mincemeat out of your face?"

"Please don't hurt him." Eva begged. "When I left the bedroom, Angelo was asleep in the bed. Lee and I have been in the living room since around 3 am. Neither of us saw Angelo leave. He must have snuck out the bedroom window."

"You expect me to believe that?" Sergeant Magovich asked with a sneer. "We can do this the easy way or the painful way. It is up to you. Your man in the van died quickly with little pain. Wouldn't you rather that kind of death instead of a long and painful one?"

Lee sat glaring at her rebelliously.

"Very well. You leave me no choice." The sergeant declared. "Corporal Zuchov, tie him up."

Just as the Corporal started to pull rope out of his pocket, there were voices coming up the path and onto the porch. The three Russians looked at each other and the Sergeant whispered "Let's get out of here. We'll find Spinelli another way."

As they disappeared down the hallway, Lee couldn't honestly remember any time that he had ever been happier to hear Amanda's rambling cheerful voice.

**TBC**


	30. Chapter 30 - The Morning After

**Chapter 30 – The Morning After**

Amanda had arrived home after leaving the Spinelli house and was greeted at the door by her mother.

"Amanda? Where have you been? I have been getting worried about you. The Women's Gardening Club will be here early in the morning. I'm sure I told you that already, didn't I?" Dotty asked but kept talking without waiting for an answer. "They are trying to decide what flowers they want to plant in the middle of town this year. We've been planning this meeting for weeks and I've been really looking forward to it," Dotty continued to scold her daughter for being late.

"I know, I know Mother. I'm sorry. Are the boys in bed?"

"Do they sound like they are in bed, dear? I told them they all had to be in bed by 10pm, but they insisted that they couldn't go to sleep until you got home. I agreed to let them stay up and wait for you but I had no idea you would be this late. "

Amanda had hurried so quickly into the house that she hadn't paid attention to the apparent sword fight that was going on upstairs.

"Amanda, can you please go up and see them so they will settle down. I really need to get to bed."

"Yes Mother," Amanda promised as she rushed up the stairs to talk to the boys and their guest. There were several boos and many words of discontent as she explained that they needed to go to bed. They had already changed into their pajamas but when questioned, they admitted they had not brushed their teeth. After making sure they brushed, they headed for where they would sleep that night. The boys had given their friend a sleeping bag on top of a fold out cushion to sleep on. Amanda said quietly, "Your Grandmother has an early day so she won't be happy if you keep her awake. Try to get some sleep, okay fellas?"

"Okay, we'll be quiet mom," they said a little sadly as Amanda closed the bedroom door. She leaned against the wall for a minute to catch her breath, and to make sure they stayed quiet. She could hear them whispering among themselves. She proudly smiled because she had the best sons in the world.

Amanda headed to her room. She was exhausted from the day and needed her rest too. She fell asleep almost as soon as her head hit the pillow.

At 5am, Amanda's alarm began going off. She rose quickly, dressed and headed down the stairs. Her mother was already downstairs making sure everything was perfect for her company. Amanda set to work mixing the ingredients for a poppy seed cake so she could bring it with her to the Spinellis. As she took it out of the oven, she replaced it with another pan of batter that she had whipped up while she waited for the first one to bake. She hoped that this cake would help make up for leaving her mother with the boys and their guest. She knew her mother would be thrilled to be able to serve it to the club members. It was already after 6am though and Amanda needed to get going. Lee would be expecting her soon.

"Mother, I made a poppy seed cake to bring to the Suttons today. I thought you might like one for your club too so it is baking in the oven. The timer should go off soon."

"That's nice dear. Who are the Suttons? I don't remember you mentioning them to me," Dotty asked as she straightened a picture on the living room wall.

"I think I did. They are one of my clients. Their cat is pregnant and they are worried about her being alone so they hired me to be with her while they are at work. That's why I was so late last night. They both had to work double shifts," Amanda explained as she quickly ducked her head to put on her shoes before her mother could see that she wasn't telling the truth.

"Oh, maybe you mentioned it and I forgot," Dotty admitted.

"Well I have to go now. Thank you for keeping an eye on the boys. I doubt they will be up much before noon so you should have peace and quiet during your meeting," Amanda assured her mother. "I should be home much earlier this evening, but I'll call if anything changes."

"Okay dear. Good luck with the cat," Dotty said as she hugged and kissed her daughter goodbye. "Oh, Amanda? Why don't you take this lovely bouquet of flowers to the Suttons? I bought too many and don't know what to do with this one since all our vases are full.

"Thanks Mother. That's very thoughtful. They are a nice couple and I'm sure they would appreciate them," Amanda said as she picked up the flowers and the cake and headed out the door.

She was soon on her way to the Spinellis. She couldn't help but wonder how Lee had made out during the night. He was so determined to keep her there so he could avoid Angelo and Eva. Amanda wondered why he had insisted on being on the case in the first place when he was obviously struggling with his feelings for Eva. Amanda pulled up to the curb in front of the house and gathered her things as she got out of the car. She was concentrating so hard on not dropping anything that at first she didn't hear the cheery "hello" that was being directed at her. Then she realized that the woman was talking to her and she greeted her pleasantly. Mrs. Dunlap introduced herself and said she was bringing the new neighbors some jams and preserves. Amanda decided that it would be nice for Angelo and Eva to begin meeting their neighbors. After all, the best way to blend in with the surroundings was to start acting the part.

Amanda knocked on the door, but barely waited for an answer. Since everyone was likely in the other room eating their breakfast, she decided it would be best just to use they key that Lee had given to her. With her hands full of the cake and flowers, she found it difficult to locate the key and had to hand a bag to Mrs. Dunlap to make room to hunt for the key. Being resourceful though, she was able to locate the key without having to set anything down on the ground. Meanwhile Mrs. Dunlap chattered on about how her husband had irritated her once by burying all her purses and she had fired off a letter to 'Dear Abby' to complain about it. Amanda could tell she was likely the neighborhood busybody, but she seemed harmless enough. Besides, it was important for Angelo and Eva to get along with their neighbors so having this one as a friend would be better than having her as an enemy.

Amanda was stunned as she opened the door and started to welcome Mrs. Dunlap into the house. Lee was in the process of getting dressed while Eva tried to cover herself with Lee's sweater. Amanda found herself nearly at a loss for words as she made her apologies to Mrs. Dunlap and told her that another time might be better. Amanda closed the door and continued to stare for a minute. When she managed to get over the shock of the scene before her, Amanda finally said "I'm sorry if I interrupted anything. I'll just take these things out to the kitchen." Before either Lee or Eva could say anything, Amanda went to the kitchen and set her cake down on the counter. She then slammed around for a minute until she remembered where she had seen the vases and pulled one out. After placing the beautiful flowers into the vase and filling it with water, she realized that she needed to calm down. If she didn't know better, she would think she was jealous of what she had just witnessed. Suddenly it occurred to her that she had not seen Angelo. She got herself together and went back out to the living room. Lee was telling Eva that he needed to call Billy and let him know what had happened.

"What did happen?" Amanda asked.

Eva jumped in to answer before Lee and said "My Angelo is gone. The Russians came to take him but he must have heard them and took off."

"He's gone?" Amanda asked in a shocked voice. "Do you know where he went?"

"No," Lee said, but gave Eva a reassuring look as he continued, "But we will find him."

Eva lowered her head and said "Thanks Lee. I'm going to go clean up the kitchen while you make your calls."

As Amanda began cleaning up the mess that the Russians had made, she couldn't help but overhear Lee's call with Billy. He talked about finding Eva on the phone with a doctor at 3am and how they had been talking the rest of the night. Amanda found herself fighting that feeling of jealousy again and stopped what she was doing to get control of her emotions. As Lee hung up the phone, he turned around to look at her and she found the whole moment extremely awkward.

"I think I will go give Eva a hand," she suggested as she made her way to the kitchen. Lee used the time to call a couple of contacts so they could keep an eye out for Angelo. There was no word on the street that the Russians had found him yet. Lee knew they would have to act quickly to stay ahead of the KGB agents.

Meanwhile as Amanda walked into the kitchen, it irked her that Eva was walking around half dressed. She couldn't help but wonder if Eva had seduced Lee after she had left. She wasn't sure why it bothered her so much, but seeing them half dressed together when she arrived had been upsetting to her. After expressing her sympathies about Angelo, Amanda insisted that Eva get dressed. Eva tried to charm her with her smile, but Amanda continued to insist. Eva had begun calling her Mandy. She had not called her Mandy the day before, so why would she start now. Was this a way for Eva to belittle her or get under her skin? Amanda wasn't sure. Amanda had never been called Mandy, and she was not fond of the name. She just knew she wanted Eva to get dressed so she decided to tolerate the annoyance she felt over the nickname. There was something different about Eva that morning. She seemed more overbearing than before and seemed particularly determined to get under Amanda's skin. Eva suddenly spotted Amanda's cake and challenged her to get Lee to eat some. She made a point of saying that he would stick with just coffee for breakfast when they had been together. Amanda knew that it was Eva's way of reminding Amanda that she and Lee had spent nights together in Milan. There was no doubt that Eva was marking her territory.

Lee walked into the kitchen and could immediately sense the tension between the two women. He didn't really understand what was going on between them but could tell right away that Amanda was upset. As he tried to figure out a way to lighten the mood, he spotted the poppy seed cake. He praised how good it looked, but the gesture backfired when Amanda offered him some. Without thinking, he told her that he only usually had coffee for breakfast. He did not notice Eva's smug face as she left the room, but Amanda did. However, he could tell immediately that he had said the wrong thing so he grabbed a pinch of the cake to taste it. He made a point to rave about how good it was.

As Lee joined Amanda at the sink, she asked him if he had learned anything new about Angelo. Lee had made several phone calls but no one was able to offer anything new. So far, everything was a dead end. He knew that Amanda had spent some time talking to Angelo before Eva had arrived. He hoped that if she thought back about their conversation, she might think of something he might have told her that could lead to his whereabouts.

Amanda mentioned that Lee and Eva seemed to be hitting it off pretty good. Lee was still struggling with his emotions from the night before. After he and Eva had talked, he had begun to realize that he didn't feel the same love for her that he had before. Maybe the reason he had thought he was so madly in love with her was mostly because he couldn't have her. Once she was married to Angelo, he knew that she was no longer available and he had let that simmer in him for the past two years. Maybe the fact that she was dating both him and Angelo had made him lust after her during that time. He couldn't deny that he had feelings for her, but did he really love her? Would a relationship with this woman have really lasted? As they sat talking the past few hours, he realized that he had very little in common with her. She was not a part of his world. In fact, Amanda was more a part of his world than Eva was. He needed to talk to someone and try to work out some of what he was feeling. He had never known Amanda to lie and she was one of the most sensible women he had ever met. So without thinking it through much, he asked her how someone would know that an affair was over. Amanda couldn't believe that he was asking her this question. Shrugging her shoulders, she sadly said that you just know. Lee wasn't sure that helped much and insisted that he was really bad at these things. They half heartedly argued back and forth whether or not he really was that bad at it until Amanda agreed to drop it. Lee insisted that they get back to work so they could truly drop the subject.

Lee motioned for them both to sit at the kitchen table, and then took out a pad to make notes. He asked Amanda if she noticed anything weird. He was expecting her to tell him any oddities about Angelo. Instead she began pointing out the things she had found yesterday in Eva's room. First the lipstick that was nearly all used up and then the nearly empty canister of bath oil beads. Lee didn't seem to be taking her observations seriously until she mentioned the gun that she had found next to the bath oil beads so it had to be Eva's. Amanda had not planned to bring any of this up to Lee, but since he had asked her, she felt it was important that he knew. She couldn't help but think it was more evidence that something was not right about Eva. The look of hurt and shock on Lee's face as it registered that Eva had a gun made Amanda quickly defend herself in telling him.

"I wish I hadn't found it" Amanda said to Lee in hopes of making him realize that she wasn't telling him just to hurt him.

"I wish you had not found it either." Eva said as she joined them still in her nightgown which she had now covered with a robe. "I also wish that you hadn't been going through my things." Eva chastised Amanda.

Amanda explained that she was only trying to help by straightening up the room for her. She continued by saying she was concerned because guns were so dangerous. Eva alluded to the fact that she had the gun due to the KGB and then tried to make Amanda feel guilty by saying that they should be working together to get Angelo back. She finished by saying that they needed to trust each other.

The silence after Eva stopped talking was very noticeable.

"Look Eva, why don't you go get dressed. You can come with me and we'll go look for Angelo," Lee suggested while staring at Amanda. She seemed disappointed that he had dismissed her observations.

After Eva left the room, put his hand on Amanda's arm and gently squeezed it. "Thanks Amanda," he said quietly so Eva wouldn't hear him. "We'll go look around where we took him yesterday and see if we can find him. In the meantime, can you stay here in case he calls?"

"Of course Lee," Amanda agreed. "He's a pretty smart guy. I'm sure he has a plan and is staying ahead of the KGB."

"Yeah, let's hope so. Eva, are you ready?" Lee called out.

"I'm right here Lee. Let's go," Eva answered as she entered the kitchen. Amanda didn't seem to be as animated as she had been previously. Eva hoped that meant that Lee had reprimanded her for snooping. She pushed her arm through Lee's and put on her best smile as she walked to the door with him. She couldn't help but turn around and smile smugly at Amanda as she said "Thanks Mandy for agreeing to stay here in case my Angelo returns."

Then she and Lee walked out the door together as Amanda stared after them.

**TBC**


	31. Chapter 31 - What a Deal

**Chapter 31 – What a Deal!**

Now that Amanda was alone, she could finally get her head and emotions back under control. It wasn't often that Amanda didn't like someone but she was struggling to like Eva. The woman was infuriating. None of her smugness had been lost on Amanda. What in the world did Lee see in _that _woman? She had grown to care about Lee quite a bit so maybe she was being protective of him. No, Lee could take care of himself. He had made it clear to her many times that he didn't like being mothered. Maybe the truth was that she was jealous of Eva's past with Lee. After all, Eva didn't mind pointing it out every chance she got. Why should she be jealous though? Eva chose Angelo over Lee. They weren't a couple. She had no reason to be jealous of whatever had happened between them in the past. If she was going to be jealous of Lee's relationships, wouldn't she be jealous of all the young girls he had dated since she met him? No, there was something about Eva that just didn't add up. She knew Lee was too blind to see it though.

It was toxic to keep dwelling on these thoughts. She knew she needed to focus on something else. She decided to call her mother to check to make sure that everything was okay.

"Hello?" Dotty answered the phone.

"Hi Mother. I just thought I would check in and see if the boys were awake yet?"

"Oh Amanda, I don't know how they can sleep as long as they do, but I haven't heard a peep from them all morning."

"Well that's good. How did your meeting go?"

"Oh Amanda dear, it went great. It didn't take us any time at all to come up with some fantastic ideas for the flowers this year. The Club has some new members and they were very helpful. They even suggested growing extras and having a plant sale for charity. Isn't that just a great idea Amanda?" Dotty gushed.

"That sounds wonderful. Look, I called to tell you, I may miss dinner Mother. Umm, it looks like the Suttons' cat is about ready to have her kittens and it looks like it could be a breach," Amanda convincingly lied.

"Oh, well, good luck. Ohhh, did the Suttons like your cake?" Dotty asked.

"Oh, it was um, it was a big hit," Amanda responded while trying to keep the disappointment out of her voice.

"Aw, well, your poppy seed cake is your Sistine chapel Amanda. No one can top it," Dotty praised.

"Yes Mother, "Amanda said gratefully as her eyes drifted to the door of the refrigerator. The ad for Liberty Larry's had been ripped apart. "I'll see you later. I have to go now," Amanda said hurriedly to her mother. "Bye, bye." She hung up without waiting for her mother to respond.

"What? Amanda, the club loved your cake too. Amanda?" Dotty realized she was listening to a dial tone. She stared at the phone, shrugged and replaced the receiver on its cradle. The cat must be trying to deliver and Amanda had to rush off. She would have to remember to tell her about all the nice things the ladies had said about her cake when she got home that night.

Meanwhile, Amanda had touched the ad to make sure it was truly ripped. The address and phone number were missing. Of course, it made sense that Angelo would need a car in order to leave town.

Amanda had no way to contact Lee, but she knew he would be checking in with her. In case anyone else called the house, she needed to come up with a message that only Lee would understand. It took her only a minute to realize what that would be. After she recorded it, she rushed out to her car. She needed to get to Liberty Larry's right away to stop Angelo from leaving town and hope she could stall long enough for Lee to arrive.

**TBC**


	32. Chapter 32 - The Truth Will Set You Free

**Chapter 32 – The Truth Will Set You Free**

Lee had been riding around with Eva for a couple of hours in hopes of spotting Angelo. So far, there was no sign of him. Lee kept trying to think of places he might go but Eva shot down every idea including a pizza place. Lee realized that Angelo must have decided to run because he was scared.

"Eva, how did the two of you survive that hell?" Lee had to ask.

"Angelo survived by forcing his mind to see beyond his prison," Eva explained with a sadness in her eyes. "I survived by remembering the same woman that you remember, and that spring when we met."

"Well I stopped thinking about those days and what might have been. There's no point to it," Lee said as he tried to convince himself too. The truth was that he had always wondered "what might have been".

Eva seemed to sense it too and began reminding him of their courtship. She asked him what happened to the man that she had waltzed in the rain with in Venice. Lee made a joke about how those days were over since dancing along the Potomac wasn't the same. After all, there were too many tourists. Eva stared at him while trying to figure out if she was losing her control of him. Could he really be over her? As she sat studying him, she realized that he was watching out his side mirror.

"Something's wrong?" she asked.

"No, nothing," Lee said too quickly. He didn't notice that Eva clearly did not believe him.

He saw a gas station and decided that he needed to check in with Amanda. As he explained to Eva that he was going to call her, she insisted that Angelo would need to hear her voice if he was there. Lee reluctantly agreed and filled the car with gas while he waited. When Eva returned, she told Lee that Amanda was keeping herself busy with making dinner and cleaning the house. It sounded exactly like Amanda. Eva excused herself to use the restroom. When she returned to the car, she asked Lee where they would go now. He said they would recheck some of the places they had already been.

SMK SMK SMK SMK SMK SMK SMK SMK SMK SMK SMK SMK

Amanda arrived at Liberty Larry's and parked her car on the street. Being inexperienced, she never noticed the car that followed her from the house to the used car lot. She also didn't notice it park behind her car. Her mind was so focused on finding Angelo that the little training that she had received from the agency did not enter her mind. She had already listened to the training lesson on how to spot a tail a month ago. In her eagerness to find Angelo, it totally slipped her mind that now was the time to practice the new skill. As soon as she saw Angelo talking to Larry, she knew it wasn't too late. She hurried over to where they were talking and interrupted them. She was relieved to see that he was okay. Angelo insisted that she go away because he just wanted to get out of town. Larry immediately became suspicious and demanded to know why he wanted to get out of town. Angelo told him it was a private matter and to draw up the papers. Suddenly it didn't matter why Angelo needed to get out of town. Larry rushed to get the papers together before he lost the sale.

As he ran to his sales trailer, Amanda engaged Angelo into conversation.

"Why did you run away? You know we will tighten security. Everyone has been _**so**_ worried about you. Eva and Lee are out looking all around right now."

I don't want to see Eva," Angelo interrupted her. "I just want to **leave!**"

Amanda was more confused than ever. "Wait a minute, I don't understand. Eva is your wife. She loves you." Amanda said while trying to convince herself as much as Angelo. What was causing Angelo to suddenly act this way towards Eva? Did something happen last night that Amanda wasn't aware of? Did Angelo catch Lee and Eva talking together and overhear something that upset him? Or, did he catch them doing something more than just talking? All of these thoughts began spinning through her head as she tried to understand what had made Angelo change his opinion about Eva. After all, they were barely reunited twenty-four hours ago.

Angelo halfheartedly chuckled when Amanda said that Eva loved him. He picked his head up to look into Amanda's eyes as he said sadly, "No, no she doesn't. You'd think a man with ESP could have seen that, but I was so much in love with her…I ..couldn't see the truth."

Amanda's heart sunk at these words. Angelo had witnessed something between Lee and Eva last night and it made him realize that she really didn't love him. Could this be why Eva had seemed determine to make Amanda feel inadequate this morning? Was it possible that Eva was showing signs of jealousy towards Amanda? None of this made any sense.

"Angelo, I don't know what you are talking about," Amanda continued trying to make sense out of all of it. Her mind couldn't stop racing as Angelo continued to explain.

"Last night, Eva slipped out of bed and went to the other room." Amanda tried to control her emotions as she thought that Angelo was about to tell her about Eva and Lee being together last night. "I heard her speaking on the telephone. I picked up the extension. My time in Moscow has left me suspicious," Angelo continued.

"And what did you hear?" Amanda asked as she wondered what had caused him to be so upset.

"Eva. Speaking to her associates. Telling them where I was," Angelo said sadly.

As Angelo, continued talking, Amanda realized that maybe she had allowed her own jealousy to keep herself from seeing the real truth. Amanda swallowed slightly as she braced herself for the news she now realized Angelo was going to tell her. It had been there all along but she had just been too blind to see it. The lipstick, the bath oil beads, and of course the gun.

She held her breath as Angelo finished his thoughts and confirmed it for her. "Amanda, my wife is an agent for the KGB."

Amanda let out her breath as she absorbed this new information. In her heart, she had known all along that something wasn't right with Eva's sudden appearance there. It all made sense now. Her instincts had told her that Lee would get hurt by this woman. She had become protective of him when she had never been that way with anyone else he dated. She just wished that she had been able to see the truth sooner. She needed to get herself together though for Angelo's sake.

She began pleading with him to not leave. He needed to stay here so they could protect him. As she tried to convince him, she noticed a car pull up. There was no question in her mind that this was the KGB and somehow they had figured out where Angelo was. She convinced Angelo to duck down behind a car, and then she guided him through the car lot while trying to find a place to hide. As they got further into the lot, Amanda could tell there was no place safe so she found a car that looked to be in decent shape and the two of them got into it. They ducked down in hopes that no one would see them. She could only hope that Lee had gotten her message and was on the way.

SMK SMK SMK SMK SMK SMK SMK SMK SMK SMK SMK SMK SMK

As Lee left the gas station, he noticed that the car which had been tailing them had suddenly disappeared. He decided it was time to tell Eva about it. He then expressed how he was alarmed that the car was no longer there as it likely meant that they had their own ideas where Angelo was. He needed to call Amanda. He needed to check to make sure she was okay while also checking to see if Angelo had shown up. If Angelo was there, Amanda was in danger and Lee needed to get back there as quickly as possible. Eva told Lee that she would call Amanda. Lee made it clear that there would be no argument; he would call Amanda this time.

He left Eva in the car as he made his way to the phone booth and placed the call. Amanda had left a message on the answering machine that said she wasn't there right now. She had a friend who needed a car, and he had taken the ad that she had found in the paper.

Lee swiped his hand through his hair in frustration. Amanda had left the house. Damn it. Why did she leave the house? He hung up the phone and then picked it back up again. He quickly dialed the agency and left a message to be given to Billy immediately. Then he hung up the phone and hurried back to his car. He drove in silence to Liberty Larry's. Eva seemed lost in her own thoughts. As he pulled up to the lot, he saw Amanda's car. He also saw the car that had been tailing them earlier. Now he knew for sure that Amanda was in danger. He pulled over and hurried out of the car. He needed to go find them now before the KGB got to them first.

Eva stopped him as he headed for the entrance. "Lee, this is insane. You can not fight the KGB. Let us go back and get some help" Eva pleaded with him.

Lee explained that Angelo and Amanda were in there somewhere and urged her to follow him. As he began to enter the lot, he couldn't believe his ears when he heard her yell "STOP!" He turned around to discover a gun pointed right at him. He hoped that this wasn't what it seemed to be and once again pointed out that if he didn't get to them, the KGB would. Eva acknowledged that she knew that. He finally began to realize that Eva had used him to find Angelo. He expressed this thought out loud in hopes that she would deny it. Instead, she confirmed it to be true. She told him that they knew he would lead them to Angelo because he was the best at everything. Lee couldn't believe this was happening. The woman that he had thought he loved all this time was involved with the KGB and he had been so blindly in love that he never realized it. He pointed out that he didn't choose his lovers very well as he choked back the tears that threatened to flow. He felt so betrayed. How could he have been so stupid?

She made him hand his gun over and then she threw it into the roadway. As Lee watched her throw away his weapon, he knew he had nothing to lose. The Eva that he thought he knew would never hurt him. He desperately needed to save Amanda. The agency people wouldn't be there for another 15 minutes or more and Amanda could be killed before they arrived. He told Eva that he didn't think she could kill someone who had loved her. She responded that she had never been as romantic as he was. He had no choice, but to call her bluff. He turned his back to her and started walking toward the entrance of the car lot again. She demanded that he not take another step. He paused for a few seconds and asked her if she could forget Venice. Then He began slowly walking forward again. In his heart, he knew she couldn't kill him. He couldn't have dreamed all those happy memories with her. She wasn't a killer. As he ventured forward again, he was shocked to hear the gun click once as the empty gun was fired at his back. A sense of relief flowed through him as he realized the gun was not loaded. He tried to keep his anger from simmering over out of control. He turned around to face her as she continued to shoot the empty gun. If the gun had been loaded, Eva really would have killed him. The shocked look on her face told him that she had no reason to believe that the gun was not ready to go. How come she didn't know that the gun was empty? It had to have been Amanda. Amanda must have emptied the gun when she found it. Amanda had tried to warn him, but he was so determined she was wrong that he hadn't allowed himself to see Eva the way she did. Thankfully, Amanda had once again not listened to him and she had saved his life. He angrily grabbed Eva and stuffed her into the trunk of one of Larry's cars. He had no time to play with her, Amanda was in trouble.

Just as he closed the trunk, he heard Amanda's high pitch nasally scream for help. He watched as a green car was being lifted by a magnet and moved to the crusher. Lee saw that one of the agents had just come out of the sales trailer. Lee put all his anger into rushing over a car and barreling on top of this man. It felt good to take some of his frustrations out on him as he beat him to a pulp. Unfortunately during the fight, the man's weapon disappeared. "Where did his weapon go, it was right here. I can't believe this," Lee thought to himself as he searched the ground for the man's gun. He still had Eva's gun in his pocket. It would have to do. He ran to the woman who was controlling the crane. He pointed the empty gun at her and told her to shut it off. She smugly told him that she did not control the crushing devise. Lee demanded that she get down and give him her gun. She smiled as she threw it off to the side instead. Hearing Amanda scream, he knew that she was running out of time. He grabbed the woman and pulled her to her associate who was controlling the crusher. Lee told him to shut it off. The man turned around and smugly looked at him as the crusher began its final bit of crushing. Lee let go of the woman and pushed the man aside to shut off the machine. He then whipped around in time to see that she had picked up a metal bar to hit him. He told them both to hold it. Since they had no idea the gun was empty, they obeyed.

It was at that moment, that Lee allowed himself to look at the car. A few more seconds and they would have both been crushed to death. Lee was so thankful that he had gotten the machine shut off in time. Amanda and Angelo were still alive and safe.

SMK SMK SMK SMK SMK SMK SMK SMK SMK SMK SMK SMK

Looking back at things later, Amanda realized that getting into a car in a junk yard to hide from the bad guys probably wasn't the smartest idea. She had been scared though and just knew they needed to hide. They had felt the magnet slam onto the roof of the car and then suddenly the car was in the air. Amanda and Angelo had sat up to look out the window and could see that it was a car lot employee who was running the machine. They both began frantically banging on the window to get his attention and begged him to stop. Suddenly the car was dropped down. Just as Amanda thought they were safe, she heard the crusher come on. Since they were in the back seat, they began witnessing the car being crushed. It started in the front and slowly made its way towards the back. Amanda kept yelling 'hello' because she truly could not believe that someone would want to kill another human being in this way. She was convinced that they just couldn't hear them. As the evidence of destruction from the crusher became more apparent, Amanda realized that they weren't going to make it. She didn't really have a chance to be scared. She just began thinking about how she would never see her family again. She wondered where Lee was. She just always thought he would save her. This time, however, it looked like it wasn't to be. Just as she said a quick prayer and prepared to die; the machine suddenly stopped. After letting out a sigh of relieve, she began to nervously laugh. Somehow they had faced death and won. Now how in the world were they going to get out of this car?

**TBC**


	33. C 33-Some Things are Over,Some Beginning

**Chapter 33 – Some Things are Over, Some are Just Beginning**

Lee looked at his watch and realized that the agency should be there shortly. He couldn't just leave Amanda and Angelo in the crushed car though. He had taken the gun from the corporal and felt better knowing that he was armed again. He even checked the gun just to be sure and found it to be loaded. Then while guarding them both, he had quickly patted them down to make sure they didn't have any other weapons stashed on their bodies. He didn't find anything.

Lee pulled out two pairs of handcuffs and soon had the sergeant and corporal contained in the back of one of Larry's cars. He checked on the other corporal and discovered that he was still out cold.

"Lee!" He heard Amanda yell. "Lee? Are you out there? Do you think you could get us out of this car now, please?"

"I'm coming Amanda, hang on," Lee answered as he headed in their direction. He stopped by the crushing machine and reversed the crusher so that it raised itself back up in the air. As he began walking to the car, he wondered how in the world he was going to get them out of there. As he got closer, he realized that the machine had shut off before much of the back seat had been affected. The back window had been smashed out so Lee took off his jacket and used it to remove the last pieces of glass from the window frame. Then he instructed Amanda to put her head out the window and he was able to grab her by the middle and pull her out of the car. He offered to do the same for Angelo, but Angelo pulled himself out of the car.

"Are you both alright?" Lee asked just as the agency and police cars began arriving.

"Yeah, I'm okay," Amanda said as she finished wiping the glass shards off her jacket with her scarf.

"You saved my life, Lee. Thank you," Angelo said humbly as he shook Lee's hand.

"I was just doing my job," Lee assured him. "I'm just glad that I arrived in time."

"I had no doubts you would, Lee. Eva always said you were the best there was," Angelo said sadly.

"Hey Scarecrow, where are the KGB agents?" Murray asked.

"I'm sorry, duty calls," Lee said with relief as he left the awkward situation to go collect the agents.

"I'm really sorry about Eva," Amanda said to Angelo. "She was obviously good at her job too since she convinced both of you that she loved you."

"Yeah," Angelo said. "I guess she did at that. Thanks for all your help Amanda."

"Of course. I'm here if you need anything, okay?" Amanda reassured him.

"Thanks Amanda. I need some time. You understand," Angelo said sadly.

"Yeah, take all the time you need," Amanda said as she gave him a quick hug. She suddenly realized that she really needed to use the bathroom.

Meanwhile, one of the agency men had found Larry and helped him up from the floor. Larry told them where they could find some ice and they soon had an ice bag on his head to try to bring down the swelling from the lump on his head. The corporal had really hit him hard. Larry came out of the trailer to see what was happening. Lee approached him and asked "You won't hold Angelo to the car deal? I mean considering the circumstances, that wouldn't be right."

"No, I won't hold him to the deal," Larry agreed.

"Thank you," Lee said as he held his hand out for a handshake.

"Yeah, that's okay," Larry said as they shook.

Lee then turned his attention to Eva as Agent Dick was waiting to put her into a police car. Lee didn't notice the despondent Angelo leaning against the car nearby. However, he did notice Sergeant Magovich being put into one of the police cars. It made him feel a little better knowing that he had captured her and the other two agents along with Eva.

As Lee began walking toward Eva, Dick began to guide her to the car. Lee knew that he needed to end this thing with Eva once and for all though so he asked Dick for a moment. As he pressured her for the truth, she confirmed that she had been with the KGB back when he first met her. She also confirmed that marrying Angelo had been an assignment. In his heart, he already knew that, but it was important to hear it from her.

"And you were never in love with me?" Lee pushed her further. The look on her face and her silence answered the question for him. As he turned to walk away, she finally responded, "Lee, of course I was in love with you." Lee locked eyes with her while trying to determine if she was telling the truth. She abruptly broke the contact and got into the car. He had his answer. He knew at that moment that she was still trying to use him. She probably thought he could help her as she faced charges. Lee found himself once again fighting to keep his emotions in control. After all, that entire spring and summer had been a lie. He had thought he loved someone who was using him the whole time. Suddenly Amanda appeared in front of him.

"Hi," she said with a sympathetic smile. Somehow that simple smile made everything seem better.

"Hi," he answered back as he motioned for her to walk with him. He put his arm around her back in a protective way. He didn't notice Amanda look quickly at his arm and smile at the sweet gesture.

"You were the one who took the bullets from her gun, right?" Lee asked.

"Well, yes, you know how I feel about loaded guns in the house. Very dangerous," Amanda answered matter of factly.

"Hmmm, hmmm. I want to thank you," Lee said very sincerely.

"You are welcome," Amanda acknowledged.

"You know Amanda, I'm really glad we had that talk last night. It helped."

"Good, I'm glad." Amanda responded even though she wasn't sure what he was talking about since they talked about Eva just that morning. She decided not to correct him though since he had just gone through so many emotions and likely wasn't paying attention to days and times right now.

"I've been thinking a lot about what you said."

"Oh?" Amanda wondered where he was going with this.

"Yeah, remember when you said that when it is really over, I'll know when it's over?" Lee questioned.

Amanda remembered telling him that and nodded her head to agree. "Yeah"

"Well guess what?" Lee asked.

Amanda raised an eyebrow and played along as she asked "What?"

"It's _**over!**_" Lee exclaimed as he raised his fists in a victory type cheer and acted happy for the first time in days. Amanda broke out in a big smile. It was so good to have the old Lee back. She knew he would still have to work through his emotions, but now that he realized that the whole relationship had been a lie, it would help him move on.

"I'm glad, Lee," Amanda said happily. At that same moment, she happened to look up and found herself staring right into Angelo's eyes. He quickly lowered his gaze and looked miserable. Deep down, Amanda knew it wasn't over for Angelo at all.

**TBC**


	34. Chapter 34 - Poor Angelo

**Chapter 34 – Poor Angelo**

"Amanda is that you?" Dotty sang out as she heard the front door close.

"Yes Mother, it is just me," Amanda answered.

"Oh good, I'm so glad you are home. Did the cat have the kittens?" Dotty yelled out from the kitchen.

"What?" Amanda asked without thinking. "Oh, yes, she did. She had ten of them, all healthy."

"Oh my gosh, ten kittens? That poor mother cat," Dotty said in disbelief.

Amanda entered the kitchen to find her mother checking on the roast chicken that had been in the oven.

"Perfect timing dear, the chicken is done. Can you tell the boys that dinner is ready?" Dotty asked.

"You don't need to Grandma, here we are!" Phillip said as he and Jamie barreled into the kitchen. "What's for dinner, Grandma, I'm starving," Jamie proclaimed.

"Is that any way to greet your Mother?" Amanda asked as she kneeled down so the boys could give her a hug. The boys both said "Sorry Mommy" as they hugged her.

"Why don't you help out by setting the table? I'll bet that will help the food get on the table faster," Amanda suggested.

The boys rushed to set the table and soon everyone was seated around a feast. Amanda enjoyed listening to her two sons as they told her about their day. Afterward, her mother filled her in on the latest neighborhood gossip.

As she was helping her mother clean up after dinner, the boys begged to go play basketball in the park. Amanda decided to go with them since it seemed like she was spending less and less time with them these days.

As she sat on one of the park benches, she began thinking about Angelo. He had looked completely destroyed as they put Eva into the police cruiser to take her away. Angelo was finally free from the Russians, but the past few years had all been a lie. She could not imagine being betrayed like that. She and her ex-husband had faced a lot of sadness together as they agreed to divorce, but there hadn't been any dishonesty or betrayal. Amanda knew that it was going to take awhile for Angelo to move on from this pain. She was determined to help him all that she could. Certainly the agency wouldn't desert him now when he needed them the most. It didn't matter, she considered Angelo a friend now and she always took care of her friends. She made up her mind that she would make a meatloaf and a chocolate cake for him and deliver it in the morning.

"Mom! Did you see that hoop shot I just made," Phillip exclaimed as his excited voice pulled Amanda back out of her thoughts.

"What? Oh, I'm sorry, Phillip, I'm afraid I got distracted and didn't see it. Can you do it again?" Amanda requested absentmindedly.

"Mom! I'm not a VCR, I can't just be rewound, you know," Phillip whined.

"I know sweetheart and I'm sorry. I think we should go home now. It is starting to get dark," Amanda suggested as both boys immediately began protesting. She gave in to their begging and let them play for fifteen more minutes.

Later that night after the boys had gone to bed, she found herself still thinking about Eva. Thinking back, she realized that she had let her feelings get in the way of her instincts. It had taken her by surprise that Lee had almost asked someone to marry him. She still wasn't sure why that seemed to bother her so much, but it did. She was glad that she got to meet Eva though as it allowed her to see a little more of Lee's past. What else was Lee hiding and carrying in his heart? He was certainly a mystery. She wondered if she would ever know all his deep, dark secrets. She chuckled at the thought of that. After all, it wasn't like she was his girlfriend. Whatever was in Lee's past was his business. Certainly, she didn't feel the need to share with him about her past. Her past wasn't nearly as exciting, but it had its own share of heartbreak.

As Amanda started to doze off, she couldn't help but still worry about Angelo.

**TBC**


	35. Chapter 35 - Heartbroken

**Chapter 35 – Heartbroken **

Amanda woke up just as the sun was beginning to rise. She quietly made her way downstairs so she wouldn't wake her family. It didn't take long to create a meatloaf and mix up cake batter for a cake. She put them both in the oven. As she waited for them to bake, she also mixed up some blueberry muffins and added them to the oven. While she waited to pull out the muffins, she tidied up the kitchen. In no time, the muffins were out of the oven and on racks to cool.

Her mother had made her way down the stairs just as she was finishing icing the cake. She had removed the meatloaf a short time ago and it was also on the counter so it could cool. Amanda let her mother know that she was going to visit a sick friend. Dotty shook her head in disbelief. Her daughter was determined to take care of the world, one person at a time. She watched in silence as Amanda put all of the food in containers.

As Amanda headed out the front door, she promised to be home early. She then drove to Angelo's house.

After knocking several times with no answer, she let herself in with the key that she had been given when she first met Angelo. As she entered the house, she was shocked. Angelo appeared to be passed out on the couch. There were several beer cans scattered all over the floor around him. Amanda walked into the kitchen to put the meatloaf in the fridge. She was saddened to see that even the kitchen showed the signs of Angelo's distress. The table was full of take out containers along with a plate of half eaten food. Angelo had not bothered to clean up at all from his dinner the night before.

After checking to make sure Angelo seemed to be breathing okay, Amanda set to work cleaning up. It took her nearly two hours to make sure the entire place had been re-cleaned from top to bottom. She decided it was time to wake Angelo up. She tried just calling his name at first, but he didn't even move in his sleep. So then she tried to shake him a little. He moaned and grumbled at her to leave him alone. She was tempted to get a glass of water and dump it over his head, but decided against it. Instead she did the only other thing she could think of to do; she called Lee.

At first, Lee suggested that she just give the man some space. He had been through a lot and probably just needed some time to come to terms with it all. Amanda refused to agree with this plan. She insisted that Angelo needed them and that leaving him alone could be endangering his life. She was convinced that he was in a depression. She explained to Lee that a depressed person can act without thinking. She was not going to leave him alone. The more stubborn she sounded, the more Lee knew it was a losing battle. He finally reluctantly agreed to come out to the house.

It took Lee nearly thirty minutes to arrive. Amanda met him on the front step. "He's in rough shape, Lee," Amanda explained. "Was he a drinker when you knew him before?"

"I really didn't know him," Lee answered as he motioned for Amanda to lead the way inside. The house smelled of the cleaning chemicals that Amanda had used to scrub everything down again. Lee's eyes were drawn to the sight of Angelo sprawled on the couch. It looked like Amanda had tried to cover him up, but he had shoved the blanket onto the floor. Lee could tell that he was still very intoxicated.

"Okay, Angelo, come on. It's time to get up!" Lee commanded as he grabbed him by his arms and yanked him off the couch. Angelo didn't struggle at all and for a moment, Lee wondered if he was dead. He checked for a pulse and noticed that his chest was showing signs of breathing.

"Amanda, can you open the bathroom door for me? I think Angelo needs a nice, cold shower. Then can you make us a pot of coffee, please?" Lee asked as he put his arms under Angelo's arm pits and began to drag him towards the bathroom. Amanda opened the bathroom door and then stood aside while Lee dragged him inside. She shut the door behind them and made her way out to the kitchen. Just as she finished measuring out the coffee, she heard Angelo let out a loud string of expletives.

Suddenly the bathroom door opened violently. Angelo stomped into the hallway with a towel trying to dry his soaking wet body and clothes.

"Lee, don't you think you should have taken his clothes off first?" Amanda scolded.

"I think this was much more effective," Lee said with a big grin.

Angelo stomped into his room and a few minutes later emerged in dry clothes while still trying to get his hair dry.

"Damn it Lee! What gave you the right to barge into my home and try to drown me?" Angelo demanded.

Before the situation could escalate, Amanda interrupted the two men.

"Angelo, you were pretty drunk. I was worried about you so I called Lee to come over to help me. I don't have a lot of experience with people who drink too much so I was concerned that you could be in trouble," Amanda gently tried to explain.

"Did you ever think that maybe I don't care if I drank too much?" Angelo shouted at her. At the look of her crestfallen face, Angelo felt awful and slumped down into one of the kitchen chairs. "Look, I know you mean well, Amanda. I truly do and I do appreciate it. However, my whole life the last few years has all been a lie. I thought she loved me, but instead she was just using me. How am I supposed to move on from that?" Angelo asked.

"I don't know, but you thought for awhile that she was dead. During that time, you didn't give up. You took the first chance you had to escape and come to the U.S. Isn't it better that you know the truth instead of continuing to live a lie?" Amanda reasoned with him.

Angelo sighed and bowed his head. "You are right. Of course, you are right. It's going to take time though."

Lee had poured a mug of coffee and placed it in front of Angelo. Angelo wrapped his hands around it like a security blanket. As he gingerly lifted the mug to his mouth for a sip, Amanda couldn't help but notice how much he seemed to be shaking. As he returned the mug to the table, Amanda reached out and took one of his hands in hers. His eyes met hers, and she proclaimed "Now you listen to me Angelo Spinelli! You are a good man. Eva didn't deserve you. There are a lot of wonderful women in this country that would adore you. Don't' give up. Don't let what she did destroy you and all that you have worked for and believe in. Now, I'm going to continue to help you learn your way around here and I'm going to continue to check in on you. You are not alone. You are with friends! I cooked you a meatloaf for dinner tonight. I also baked some blueberry muffins. Would you like one?" Amanda asked.

Angelo shook his head as he softly replied, "I'm sorry Amanda. I'm really not hungry right now. Thank you for all your kindness. I feel better. I am still very tired though from staying awake all night drinking. Would you mind if I went back to bed for awhile? I promise to get up this afternoon and work outside, okay?" Angelo quietly pleaded with her.

Amanda patted his hand and let it go. "Of course you can go take a nap. I'm sure you need it. I'll stop by tomorrow morning to see how you are doing, okay?" Amanda suggested.

"Okay," Angelo said with a smile. He got up from the table and acknowledged Lee with a nod as he headed for the bedroom. Lee had stayed silent and let Amanda handle things. The woman definitely had a motherly way about her. He and Angelo would have just continued to butt heads. Amanda had quickly diffused the situation and avoided a confrontation. He decided to talk to Billy about leaving Amanda on this assignment. It would be in their best interests to have Amanda help Angelo get through his grieving if they wanted to obtain his knowledge. Being brokenhearted himself, Lee knew that Angelo would need time to start feeling normal again. He couldn't think of anyone better to help him accomplish that than Amanda.

**TBC**


	36. Chapter 36 - More Trouble

**Chapter 36 – More Trouble**

"I'm telling you Billy, he's falling apart. Thank God Amanda went over to check on him. She told me that he had at least a dozen beer cans all crunched up on the floor around him. I could barely wake him up until I dunked him in a cold shower. I'm worried about him Billy," Lee admitted.

"Wow, I didn't think you cared for the man," Billy said in amazement.

"Well, I guess when two men both got fooled by the same woman, it brings them closer. Hell, I don't know Billy. I don't want anything to happen to him. Do you think we should move him out of the house? I'm sure the KGB knows where he is. They could come after him again. Besides, maybe the house holds too many memories even though they were only there together for a day," Lee pondered.

"Did you ask him? I don't think we should force any changes on him until we ask him what he wants to do. I think he just needs some time to work his way through his emotions. Look, I'll continue to let Amanda handle this assignment. The agency will benefit a lot from what he knows if he is willing to share it once he calms down so I can justify her services that way. Meanwhile, _you _can help with spring cleaning," Billy said with a grin.

"BILLY! Oh come on, it isn't spring yet. Whose bright idea was it to do this so early," Lee protested.

"MINE!" Billy declared. "Now if you don't want the worst of the cases, I would suggest you stop belly aching about it and go ask Francine for your share of the files. Got it?" Billy ordered.

Lee sighed in defeat and answered, "Yeah, I got it!"

He made his way out to the bullpen to Francine's desk. When she saw him, she gleefully picked up a huge pile of files and handed them to him. He accepted them reluctantly and then half stomped back to his desk with them. After spending time in Sri Lanka, he had hoped for a nice easy assignment. Instead, he was going to have to go deal with a bunch of weird people with crazy agendas.

Lee began studying the files and realized that Francine had given him some pretty normal people to go investigate. He still didn't like it much, but he would have to make the best of it.

Just as he finished reading the final case file, his phone rang.

"Stetson," he answered and then waited for the response.

Francine jumped as he yelled into the phone, "What do you mean he's gone? I'll be right there. Stay there and wait for me, okay?"

Lee slammed the phone down and hurried to Billy's office. He knocked and then entered without waiting for an invitation.

"He's gone Billy," Lee said in a frustrated voice. "Angelo is gone. Amanda decided to stop in to make sure he was awake. He left a note on the table that he needed to get away. He asked us not to try to find him and promised to be in touch. I told Amanda I would be right over."

"Well we need to find him. We need to find him fast! We don't even know for sure that the Russians aren't still after him," Billy exclaimed as he bellowed, "Francine! In my office now!"

Francine hurried to Billy's office.

"I want an APB put out immediately for Angelo. Do either of you know where he might go? Does he have relatives or anything in this country where he could lay low for awhile?"

"Not in this country to my knowledge," Lee answered.

"What does that mean?" Billy asked.

"I just met his niece in Sri Lanka. She was helping out Ehsan," Lee explained.

"Do you think he will try to contact her?" Billy delved further.

"He might. I doubt he knows that his brother is dead," Lee answered as he remembered this information.

"He's dead?" Billy asked as his heart sank. If Angelo knew that his brother was dead, he might really go over the deep end. "Francine, check all the bus stations and airports. Alert them so they retain him if he tries to leave the area."

"I'm on it," Francine said as she hurried back out to her desk.

"I'm going to go to the house and pick Amanda up. We'll drive around and see if we can spot him," Lee said.

"Good idea. Make sure you check in every hour though, okay," Billy ordered.

"Yeah, I will," Lee agreed as he hurried to get his car. He should never have left Angelo without an agent watching him to make sure he stayed put. He needed to find him before he did anything stupid. More importantly, he needed to find him before anyone else found him. He could only hope they weren't too late.

**TBC**


	37. Chapter 37 - A Mother's Touch

**Chapter 37 – A Mother's Touch**

"I think I know where he is," Amanda said as she met Lee at the front door.

"Where?" Lee asked.

"Well you know how when you do laundry you sometimes mix your darks and whites up and don't realize it until it is too late and the next thing you know, your underwear is all red. Well I got to thinking about how Angelo hasn't done laundry since he arrived. I mean I sent out a few things to that drycleaner, but since it turned out he was just an agency guy, which of course I didn't know, and not a real drycleaner so that didn't really count. Meanwhile, Angelo came with only a few things to wear. I was trying to explain to him how American Laundromats work and he was very interested. Then I tried to explain to him how to sort clothes, but he seemed very lost. We had to keep going over the same laundry rules and he said that it didn't make sense. He told me that he thought that his ESP theories made more sense than sorting laundry did. Anyway, I think he was actually relieved when Eva showed up because she could do his laundry from now on. He told me that she had done his laundry for the past two years and before that, he had a maid that took care of all of those things," Amanda finally stopped for a second so she could take a breath.

"So you think he is at the nearby Laundromat?" Lee surmised from all of that.

"No," Amanda answered.

"So let's head….wait, no? What do you mean no?" Lee asked puzzled as he thought he had finally understood Amanda's logic for a change.

"No, I think he is at the discount clothing store that I showed him. He hated the idea of doing laundry and said he would rather buy some new clothes for now. I think he went to go get some before he tries to leave. I think if we hurry, we might still be able to catch him there," Amanda said as she walked past Lee to get into his car.

Lee stood for a few seconds with a dumbfounded look at his face and then shook his head as he turned to follow her.

Amanda instructed him on driving to the discount clothing store. As they drove up, Angelo was just walking out of the store. His hands were full of shopping bags and he had his head down as he began walking in the opposite direction of his house. Lee jumped out of the car and ran up to him.

"Come on Angelo, where are you going to go? You know it isn't safe to be out on the streets yet. We don't know for sure they won't send someone else. Come back to the house with Amanda and me so we can talk, okay?" Lee pleaded.

"Just leave me alone Lee. Can't you people just leave me alone?" Angelo demanded.

"Where are you going to go? It isn't like you have any place safe to stay. Look, if you want, the agency will buy a different house for you. We realize that maybe this one might not be right for you. We will even let you pick out the one you want. What do you say?" Lee continued to plead as he walked alongside Angelo.

Amanda had gotten out of the car and followed them. She could tell that Angelo was barely listening to Lee. As Lee continued to try to reason with him, Amanda decided it was time she took action.

"Angelo Spinelli, I want you to stop right now!" She ordered sternly.

The tone of Amanda's voice caused Angelo to stop dead in his tracks. He whipped his head around so he could see her and realized by the expression on her face that she meant business.

"Now, I know you are upset. I understand that. We all do but taking off and refusing the protection that is being offered to you is dumb. Just dumb! Now I want you to march yourself to the car and get in and come back to the house with us. We need to talk about all of this as adults," Amanda continued with a voice of authority.

Angelo hesitated and Amanda exclaimed, "**Now**!" She was relieved when he began to move toward the car. She didn't know if acting like a mother would backfire on her or not, but Lee sure wasn't getting anywhere. She hadn't taken time to worry about what happened if her plan didn't work.

"Fine, we'll go back and talk," Angelo agreed in resignation. "I won't promise that I will agree to anything though."

"No one is asking you to. But don't you think we deserve at least the courtesy for you to hear us out?" Amanda asked as she took his bags and put them in the back. She then gestured for him to sit in the front seat while she sat behind him in the backseat.

Meanwhile, Lee again found himself looking dumbfounded as he watched Angelo turn around like a scolded child and head for the car. He couldn't help but chuckle because if Amanda spoke to him in that tone, he probably would have gotten into the car too.

At the very least, she bought them some time. Hopefully the two of them could convince him to stay now.

**TBC**


	38. Chapter 38 - A Little Too Close

**Chapter 38 – A Little Too Close**

As soon as they reached Angelo's house, Lee called Billy to let him know that they had found Angelo and he was safe with them. Billy immediately sent an agent over to keep an eye on the house.

Afterward, the three of them sat around the kitchen table so they could talk. Angelo's body language showed that he wasn't entirely happy with the situation, but at least he was remaining in his chair for now.

"Angelo, I think it would be a good idea for you to let the Agency relocate you to another house. I'm sure it can still be near this same neighborhood, but it would be all yours. What do you say?" Amanda urged him.

Angelo hung his head staring at the table as he thought about the proposal. He finally sighed and agreed in defeat, "You are right Amanda. Maybe it would be best not to be in this house after all that has happened. How quickly can you relocate me?"

"Let me call Billy back right now so he can work on it," Lee offered as he went back to the phone. A few minutes later, Lee returned to the table and told Angelo that they could go look at a house right now that was just a few blocks away.

They all piled back into Amanda's car and headed west. About five minutes later, Lee pulled into the driveway of a well maintained, blue ranch house that was on a quiet street.

"Oh would you look at that!" Amanda exclaimed as they got out of the car. "That's an apple tree. You will love having your own apple tree. Oh and I think that is a pear tree over there. Yes, yes it is a pear tree!"

Angelo followed Amanda around as she pointed out every good thing about the place that she could find. The inside was much nicer than the last house and even had a Jacuzzi tub in the bathroom. In the end, she convinced him to take the house.

"Thank you Amanda. You are very kind to worry about me," Angelo said appreciatively.

"Now you listen to me, Angelo, Amanda lectured as she pointed her finger at him. "I am your friend. Friends help each other. Why someday, maybe, you will have to help me, and I'm sure you would, right?" Amanda suggested.

"Of course!" Angelo said without hesitation. Amanda smiled sweetly at him. They spent the next hour deciding what was needed for furniture, window treatments and miscellaneous items since he didn't want anything from the other house. Lee made a list so he could have Billy gather the stuff in time for it to be moved in once they closed on the house. It was nearly dinner time so they headed back to the original house. Amanda reminded Angelo that she had brought the meatloaf and he thanked her again for her kindness. She assured him that she would be back in the morning to keep him company. He insisted that she didn't have to, but she told him that she wanted to.

Lee watched the two of them with mixed emotions. Surely, it wasn't jealousy he was feeling? It wasn't like he enjoyed it when Amanda tried to mother him like she was doing with Angelo. In fact, it normally annoyed him. Yet, he found himself upset with how much care and attention she was heaping onto Angelo. It seemed to be going a bit overboard from the assignment.

He left the two of them alone so he could go call Billy. As he began dialing the phone, he decided that it definitely was not jealousy he was feeling. After all, it wasn't like he was dating Amanda or anything. They simply worked together now and then. Why did he feel the need to watch them? It made no sense to him. As he talked to Billy, he couldn't help but peek out and watch the interactions between the two of them. As he intently stared at them, he observed Amanda reach out to hug Angelo. This didn't seem like a normal hug though. She began softly rubbing his back while the hug continued much longer than a normal friend hug should take. Perhaps, Lee shouldn't have been so quick to agree with Billy that Amanda stay on this assignment. She was obviously becoming too attached to Angelo. After all, a good agent didn't allow personal feelings to influence the way an assignment was handled. Lee suppressed the thought that he had been just as guilty of this with Eva. No, that didn't matter. This was about Amanda. She didn't do well with keeping her emotions under control. Lee, on the other hand, was a seasoned agent and he was a true professional. All of those thoughts went through Lee's head as he continued to watch Amanda comfort Angelo.

"Billy, I have to go," Lee said abruptly as he hung up without any warning.

As he entered the kitchen, he cleared his throat loudly. Angelo seemed to be reluctant to release his hold on Amanda, but Amanda dropped her arms and stepped back from him.

"I should probably head for home," Amanda said as she blushed.

"Yeah, I'll walk you to your car," Lee suggested without any hesitation. "Angelo, there is an agent outside keeping an eye on the house. Please stay put tonight, okay?"

"I don't intend to go anywhere tonight Lee. Thanks for all your help today. I appreciate it," Angelo said. "I'm exhausted now. It would be best if you both left so I could rest." He then turned his back on them and headed towards his bedroom.

"Don't forget to eat some of the meatloaf I brought you," Amanda called after him. Angelo closed the bedroom door without even a backward glance.

Lee and Amanda stepped outside. As Lee walked her to her car, he said, "Amanda, I think maybe it would be best if you let someone else handle this assignment now."

Amanda was lost in her own thoughts and didn't seem to be listening to him at all. She suddenly blurted out, "You know he is going to take off again."

Lee stopped walking and said, "What? What do you mean? He seemed all happy about the new house."

"It was all an act," Amanda said as she stopped walking too.

"A-man-DA! What are you talking about? The man spent an hour gushing over his new house. I'm telling you, he's not going to anywhere," Lee argued.

"No he didn't. I 'gushed' for him and tried to get him excited about it. He never really showed any true excitement for the place. No, I think you are wrong. I think you should make sure your agent knows to watch all sides of the house. Otherwise, you are going to lose him and we might not be able to find him this time," Amanda suggested as she continued walking toward her car.

"Okay Amanda King, what makes you so sure? You know it isn't like Angelo ever shows any real excitement. Maybe he was excited and just didn't show it?" Lee challenged as he hurried to catch up to her.

"I don't know, it is just a feeling I have. The past few hours seemed like he was an actor putting on a show for us," Amanda explained as they reached her car.

As Amanda opened the door to get in, Lee reluctantly said, "Okay, I'll tell the agent to keep a close watch on the house. Meanwhile, you will be back in the morning?"

"Yes, my mother plans to spend the day with her flower club tomorrow. I'll come here after she leaves the house," Amanda said.

Lee sighed. He knew that Billy would never agree to anyone else babysitting Angelo. He was sure that Amanda was wrong about Angelo planning to run. Just to prove how wrong she was, he intended to help watch the house that night. He didn't tell her that though. He watched her car head back toward Arlington. Lee returned to his car and moved it to the side of the house where he could watch the back door and side windows. This was going to be a long night, but it would be worth it if he could prove Amanda wrong.

**TBC**


	39. Chapter 39 - Unbelievable

**Chapter 39 – Unbelievable**

Lee had managed to stay awake for hours while Angelo appeared to be sleeping. As the sun was rising, he found himself beginning to nod off. A noise that seemed out of place caused him to open his eyes. As he watched the house, a side window began to rise. Suddenly, a travel bag was thrown out the window. A few seconds later, a set of feet appeared, followed by legs and then the rest of Angelo as he slowly lowered himself to the ground. It appeared that Amanda had been right after all.

"Damn it! I don't believe it!" Lee exclaimed under his breath as he quickly reached for the door handle. He quietly got out of the car, leaving the door open as he crouched down low so Angelo wouldn't notice him. Lee quickly snuck up behind Angelo without making a sound. Angelo had been so deep in his thoughts that he never noticed that Lee was behind him.

"Going somewhere?" Lee asked. Angelo's whole body whipped around in total disbelief that he had been discovered trying to escape.

"Lee? What are you still doing here?" Angelo managed to blurt out.

"The better question is why did you lie to me?" Lee asked.

"Why do you say I lied? I didn't lie. What did I lie about?" Angelo asked in an innocent voice.

"You said you wouldn't take off," Lee reminded him.

"No, no I didn't. I said I didn't intend to take off last night. It's morning now," Angelo observed.

"Oh come on man! You know that that is just a technicality. You are really hell bent on getting yourself killed, aren't you?" Lee asked,"Do you have any idea how upset Amanda would be if she arrived today to find you missing?"

Angelo hung his head as he admitted, "Yeah, I would hate to hurt Amanda. Okay, you win. I will stay for now."

Lee walked him back to the front door and watched him go inside. He knew that Angelo wasn't ready to settle down though. He was hurt, confused and felt all alone. Lee was thankful that he had been right that Angelo would not want to hurt Amanda. How the woman managed to endear herself to people so quickly, he had no idea. Somehow she had even known that Angelo would run again. It was a good thing he hadn't made a wager with her on that one.

Maybe it was time for Lee to try to find something, or rather, someone, to help take his mind off from all of that. For now, he hoped that Angelo would stay there because Lee desperately needed to get some sleep. Later, he would place a long distance phone call and seek out some help.

**TBC**


	40. Chapter 40 - Lee Phones a Friend

**Chapter 40 – Lee Phones a Friend**

Lee decided to nap in his car until Amanda showed up. As soon as he saw her car pull up to the curb, he headed home. From his apartment, he called the agency and left a message for Billy that he had been at Angelo's house all night. He wanted to let Billy know that he would be out that morning so he could catch a little sleep. He promised to be in by noon. After setting his alarm, he collapsed into his bed. Lee was asleep before his head even hit the pillow.

SMK SMK SMK SMK SMK SMK SMK SMK SMK SMK SMK

Amanda noticed Lee's car parked outside Angelo's house as she pulled up. She watched him drive away as she started to get out of her car. She couldn't help but wonder if Angelo had tried to run again.

In case Angelo was still asleep, she used her key to open the door. As she began to walk in the house, she called out softly "Angelo?"

"In here Amanda," Angelo responded. Amanda walked into the kitchen where Angelo was sitting at the table. He had a steaming cup of coffee in front of him.

"Hi Angelo, is everything okay?" Amanda asked as she poured herself a cup of coffee from the pot. She sat down across from him at the table.

Angelo shrugged and admitted, "I tried to take off again early this morning, but Lee stopped me. He reminded me that I would hurt you if I did. Amanda, I think maybe you should stop coming here. You are a very sweet, kind woman who has done a lot for me. I don't want to hurt you. I'm confused right now and my mind won't stop racing. I feel like I need to go lose myself somewhere. I don't want to worry about leaving anyone behind who is going to worry about me. Do you understand?"

"Angelo, now you listen to me. We are friends now. I'm going to worry about you no matter what. I know you are feeling hurt and betrayed, but where else are you going to go? You don't know anyone else here and there isn't any other place for you to go. Why can't you just give it a try here? The Agency promised to help you as much as they can if you will let them. That seems like a pretty good deal to me. Besides, what if you take off and the KGB tracks you down? Do you really want to go back to Russia? I'll bet they are pretty angry with you. They will probably hurt you really badly for escaping. They will be a lot tougher on you too this time so you will give them what they want. Oh Angelo, I would hate to have to worry about you. Please let us help you. What can we do to make this better for you?" Amanda implored him.

"I don't know. I honestly don't know what to do right now. It's my life though. I didn't come here just so you people could tell me how to live my life too!" Angelo began to raise his voice.

"No one is trying to tell you how to live your life Angelo. We are just trying to keep you safe. I'll tell you what, how about if you and I take a nice ride in the country. It'll do you good to get away from here. It's so peaceful out there and I'm sure you would enjoy a change of scenery. Besides, I know that Lee will agree to the idea," Amanda suggested.

"I don't care what Lee agrees to. It is none of his damn business what I do and don't do." Noticing Amanda's crestfallen face, Angelo felt that twinge of guilt again. "I just want to rest, okay? I'm going to go lay down," Angelo said as he headed for his room. He slammed the door and the house became eerily quiet.

Amanda stayed at the kitchen table for a long time while she nursed her coffee. This man was depressed. He needed help. He definitely needed more than she could offer.

Eventually her coffee became too cold to drink. She poured the remainder down the kitchen drain. There hadn't been any sign of life from Angelo's room the whole time. She knew that an agent was posted on that side of the house though, so hopefully Angelo would stay put. It was going to be a long day. She wanted to give Lee a chance to get some rest before she called him. If he had been up all night, he had probably gone back to his apartment to sleep for a couple of hours.

SMK SMK SMK SMK SMK SMK SMK SMK SMK SMK SMK

Lee's alarm began going off at 11am. A two hour power nap had helped a little. He shut the alarm off and staggered into the shower. The blast of hot water slamming onto his face helped wake him up. He hated taking cold showers and found that hot ones seemed to invigorate him. Soon he was on the way to the agency.

After making sure that Billy knew he was there, Lee sat down at his desk. He made a few inquiries and then finally found the right phone number. It took a moment for the person on the other end of the line to believe who was calling him. When he finally did, he was excited to hear from him.

"Lee, I didn't expect to hear from you. Is everything okay?" the man asked.

"Well I'm okay. I do have a problem though that I was hoping you or rather your associate could help me with," Lee responded. Lee explained about Angelo and what he was going through. He then explained his plan.

"So do you think she would be willing to help?" Lee asked.

"I know she will. I will personally put her on a plane this afternoon myself!" the man said.

"I don't know what else to do. I can only hope that somehow she can reach him. If he takes off and we lose him, the KGB will be sure to find him," Lee said.

"Don't worry Lee; I'm sure she can help him. She seems to have a real knack for dealing with people. I know that she will definitely want to come there to help with this. I'll leave word at the Agency when you should meet her plane. Keep in touch, okay?" the man reminded him.

"I sure will. Thanks for helping me. I owe you," Lee said.

"Awwww, we'll just add it to the list," the man teased as he hung up.

Lee chuckled as he hung up the receiver. He said out loud, "Yeah, that list is getting pretty big for sure."

Within seconds of hanging up the phone, it rang. "Hello, Stetson," he said.

"Lee, you have to help me with Angelo. He went to his room early this morning and hasn't come out since. Lee, I'm really worried about him," Amanda admitted.

"I know. Amanda, I have an idea. I need some time though. Can you stay with him today?" Lee asked.

"Yeah, I guess so. What's your idea?" Amanda asked.

"I phoned a friend for help. Hopefully by this time tomorrow, I will have someone here who can help take Angelo's mind off Eva. I'll send over a couple more agents to stay with him tonight. Please try to keep him there for today, okay?" Lee requested.

"Yeah, I'll try. It won't be easy though. He is definitely a stubborn man," Amanda observed.

"Yeah," Lee said as he hung up after saying goodbye. His mind was on the visitor that should be arriving sometime after midnight. If this idea didn't work, Lee wasn't sure what to do. He could only hope that she would be able to calm Angelo down and bring him to his senses.

**TBC**


	41. Chapter 41 - The Guest Visitor

**Chapter 41 – The Guest Visitor**

After learning that his guest visitor would not be arriving until 4:45am, Lee went back to his apartment to grab some much needed sleep. He hoped that this plan would be successful, but he also hoped that she would be willing to keep an important secret from Angelo. This secret could ruin everything he was trying to achieve in asking her to come help him.

He arrived at the airport nearly an hour before her flight would arrive. Lee found himself pacing the nearly empty waiting area. As he ran his hand through his hair for the twentieth time, he heard the announcement that the flight had landed. Lee braced himself for meeting this woman he barely knew.

The airport was soon flooded with passengers coming off the plane. Lee began to get nervous as the last of them slowly entered the room with no sign of her. Then**, **suddenly**,** she appeared. She was walking with one of the pilots while totally engrossed in conversation with him. As they entered the room, she shook his hand and flashed him her beautiful smile. She then turned her attention to the room and smiled again as she spotted Lee.

"Lee! Imagine seeing you again this soon. I came as quickly as I could," she said as she pulled Lee into a big hug.

Lee hugged her back as he said, "Thank you for coming so quickly Francesca. I'm sure Ehsan told you about your uncle. I really need your help. Let's go to the Agency where we can talk, okay?"

"Yes, I slept on the plane. I'm eager to see him. It has been awhile," Francesca agreed with Lee's plan.

Lee helped her get her luggage and then guided her out to his car.

"Wow, would you look at this fancy car!" Francesca exclaimed as Lee helped her into the Porsche. As he climbed into the driver's seat, he asked, "Do you like it?"

"This is a killer beast," Francesca said as she felt the interior of the car. "Boy, I'll bet this baby can move. Perhaps you will let me drive it sometime?"

Lee recalled her driving that day in Sri Lanka. She was an experienced driver. He wasn't sure that he wanted to observe her driving abilities with a sports car though. Especially, when the car was his baby.

"We'll see. Let's see what you can do _first_ to help me with your uncle. Then, we'll talk about you taking her for a spin," Lee said with his dimpled smile.

"Don't trust me, huh? I don't blame you. I'm not sure I would trust myself with a car like this," Francesca laughed as she continued to admire the interior.

The rest of the ride to the Agency was in silence as they were both lost in their own thoughts. Lee spent the whole way trying to figure out how to convince her not to tell Angelo that his brother was dead.

**TBC**


	42. Chapter 42 - Strategy Planning

**Chapter 42 – Strategy Planning**

"Angelo must not find out that his brother is dead," Lee decided to lay it right on the line to Francesca. They had arrived back at the Agency and Lee had escorted her to one of the private conference rooms so they could talk. He had made a fresh pot of coffee and the two of them sipped their mugs as they sat together to discuss strategy.

"Lee? He has a right to know, don't you think?" Francesca asked.

Lee sighed as he tried to explain, "Your uncle is going through a pretty major depression right now. If he found out that he has lost his brother too, I'm not sure what he would do."

"I see. Well I won't keep it from him forever. I don't like lying to him. I know you loved Eva too. I hope this is not a way for you to get back at him," Francesca challenged him.

"Absolutely not. That woman is why he's so depressed. In the end, she burned both of us. Your uncle married her though. He is feeling very betrayed right now," Lee tried to defend himself.

"And when he finds out that I betrayed him by keeping the news from him about his brother? What then Lee?" Francesca raised an eyebrow as she asked.

"I know. I don't like it either. I'm going to ask Billy if one of the Agency's shrinks can spend some time with him. In the meantime, you are our only hope to calm him down. I was so sure that Amanda would be able to. Unfortunately, so far even her motherly concern has not convinced him," Lee explained sadly.

"Amanda? Who's that?" Francesca asked with curiosity.

Lee told her a summary of how Amanda had gotten involved with the Agency. He even shared how he had tried to discourage her from working there, but that she stubbornly refused to quit. Francesca noticed that there was a slight twinkle in his eyes as he shared his stories about Amanda, and how she had helped him over the past months.

Lee suddenly realized how intently she was listening to him and he involuntarily blushed. "Well, you get the point anyway." He abruptly cut off in the middle of telling her about how Rostov had thought that she was the Scarecrow. He kept his voice as emotionless as possible as he continued, "She's very good with people and her natural nurturing gestures tend to calm most people down. I think with time, she could do the same for Angelo. Ironically your uncle seems to be more stubborn than I remembered him to be. I'm concerned that he might take off in the middle of the night and we will lose him. I'm not sure we could rescue him again," Lee finished.

Francesca couldn't help but notice some similarities between how she and Amanda had gotten involved in this spy business. She chose to keep those thoughts to herself.

"Yes, he has always been a stubborn man. Angelo and my father seemed to disagree on a lot of things. They did bicker a lot when they were together. I believe that most of it was due to jealousy. Angelo was very popular and smart even as a child while my father had to constantly fight for what he wanted and deserved. At the end of the day though, they loved each other very much. They were brothers and they would have done anything for each other," Francesca shared as she focused on the contents of her coffee mug. Her mind seemed to wander back to those days.

Lee knew he was asking a lot of Francesca to keep quiet about her father's death. Angelo deserved to be told soon, but right now, he needed to finish grieving for Eva. Lee put his hand on top of Francesca's to encourage her to come back to the present. As she looked up at him, he flashed a gentle smile.

"It won't be forever. I promise. He just needs time to get past his feelings of hurt and betrayal. And then…," Lee never got to finish as Francesca cut him off. "And then what?" she asked bitterly. "Then you dump all of that on to him risking that he will go back into a deep depression?"

Lee hung his head as he struggled with how to deal with this. On one hand, he knew she was right. On the other hand, he just didn't think Angelo could handle any more bad news right now.

"I'm sorry. I don't know what else to do. Can you please give me a couple of days while I consult with the Agency's best to see how we should handle all of it? Can you please promise me that much?" Lee pleaded.

"I can't promise anything right now Lee. I need to see my uncle though. Will you take me to him?" Francesca asked.

Lee nodded. At this point, there was no other choice. Besides, what else could go wrong? He grimaced even as he thought the words inside his head. He needed to fill Amanda in with these newest developments. He had a feeling it was going to be more important than ever that she stick to Angelo like glue.

**TBC**


	43. Chapter 43 - Regrets From the Past

**Chapter 43 – Regrets From the Past**

Angelo had looked out the windows several times during the night with the overpowering desire to disappear. He wasn't even sure where he wanted to go, he just felt the need to escape. His heart was still broken from all he had suffered through in the past few days. The joy of discovering that Eva was alive only to be devastated almost immediately by the realization that she had simply used him to further her career with the KGB. It had left him feeling exhausted with nothing left to live for.

As he stared out the living room window, he angrily observed the additional agents that Lee had assigned to watch the house. Lee had made sure that Angelo would have no way to leave the house without being detected. He was being kept a prisoner in his own home. How was this any better than being in Russia? His sorrow was soon engulfed by anger. He was angry with Eva, too. He wished that he had never agreed to come to America. Would his life ever return to any kind of normal?

He spent most of the night pacing while trying to figure out a way to escape. As he paced, he found himself making some decisions. When Lee Stetson showed up in the morning, he intended to make his demands. Angelo now believed that it was his own fault that the Agency felt they had a right to control him. After all, Angelo had agreed with everything they had asked of him. He had not protested anything, including the stupid Irish name that they had picked for an Italian. They had even picked an occupation for him without asking for his opinion. Well, that was all going to change! He would demand to be left alone! He would agree to move into the new house, but only if he was not kept a prisoner in it. He must be free to come and go as he pleased. By now the KGB must have gotten word that the mission had failed. They would know that he was under surveillance so it wasn't worth their time to try to kidnap him again at this time. The Agency was simply trying to scare him by telling him otherwise. All Governments were the same; they liked to try to control their people. It didn't matter that Angelo wasn't an American citizen, he was in America. He would be expected to play by their rules. Maybe he should demand that they let him return to Italy. After all, he had family there. He was all alone in America.

As Angelo continued to pace, he thought about his brother. He hadn't seen him in years. Frankie was about three years older than Angelo. He was a great older brother and had always included Angelo in everything he did while they were growing up. Like most siblings though, as Frankie hit his teens, he began experimenting with his independence. That meant that he no longer wanted to have Angelo tagging along with him. They found themselves growing apart. They were still brothers, and they still loved each other. Their lives simply began to take different paths. Angelo found himself involved with the intellectual kids while Frankie got into sports. Deep down, Angelo knew that Frankie was as jealous of Angelo's intelligence as Angelo was jealous of his brother's charisma. Frankie had always been the popular one. He was a handsome man who was especially well liked by the ladies. Frankie never had a problem finding a date for Friday nights. He had become a sports jock, and he always seemed to have his arm over the shoulder of some beautiful female. Meanwhile, Angelo was considered a nerd and spent most of his Friday nights by himself with the current stack of books he was studying.

When Frankie was seventeen years old, he met the woman of his dreams. She had recently moved to the area and was the outsider. As soon as Frankie set eyes on her, he knew it was love at first sight. He asked her out that very night and they immediately began dating exclusively. As soon as they both turned eighteen, they eloped. When they returned from their honeymoon, they moved into their own apartment. A couple of months later they announced that they were going to have a baby. Angelo found himself very excited for them. It had all seemed to happen so quickly, but he could tell his brother was in love. When the little baby arrived seven months later, Angelo happily took over the role as her proud uncle. He spent as much time with her as he could. He loved seeing her smile when she looked at him. Even as a teenager, she would come bounding into his arms to hug him when they got together. She was like the daughter he never had. He was so proud of her too. She was an extremely smart girl who graduated at the top of her class from high school. She had inherited her father's athletic ability so she could have chosen any career her heart desired. However, she confided to Angelo one day that she planned to follow in his footsteps. She was intrigued with scientific theories and wanted to share her love of them with others.

After graduating from high school, she continued on to college to earn her teaching degree. Angelo was in the front row when she walked down the aisle to receive first her Bachelor's Degree, and then later her Master's Degree. He had never been more proud of her. Her father seemed disappointed that she didn't want to go into a sports career, but he was still very supportive. Frankie had become a high school coach. It wasn't quite the life he had dreamed of, but it provided a comfortable life for them all. Most importantly, it helped put his daughter through college. Deep down, Angelo knew that he had wished his daughter would seek out a professional sports career so that Frankie could have lived his dream through her.

During the following years, Angelo found himself too busy with his own life to have much time for his family. His theories on ESP had made him a very popular guest speaker among the universities and in the science communities. He found himself in high demand with rarely any time off. Then, he met Eva, and everything really changed. She became his whole world, and he felt he needed to be with her all the time. She made it clear as they got more involved that she needed his undivided attention if she was going to consider marrying him. He even gave up spending time with his friends and colleagues. After turning down a few dozen offers to go grab a beer, his friends soon realized that it wasn't worth their time to invite him to go out with them anymore. So of course, his niece, along with the rest of his family, rarely came into his thoughts anymore. Eva never asked him about his family, and he never offered her any information. He married her without telling any of them or inviting them to the wedding.

When Eva convinced him to take the Russian offer, he phoned his brother to let him know his plans to move to Russia. Frankie had gotten angry with him, and demanded that he change his mind about leaving Italy. He told Angelo that it was the stupidest idea he had ever come up with. He even asked Angelo if there was a woman involved. Angelo denied it at first. They had a terrible fight over the phone while Frankie tried to convince him to come home so they could talk. Angelo finally confessed that he had gotten married and that it was Eva's idea. Frankie abruptly hung up on him. They hadn't spoken since. Even though Frankie had never met Eva, Angelo had confided in him about her during a late night phone call a few months before. Frankie had questioned where this woman had come from and why she had attached herself to Angelo so quickly. Angelo had reminded him how quickly he, himself, had fallen in love and gotten married. He also reminded him how quickly his wife had gotten pregnant after they got married. He then told Frankie to mind his own business and had hung up on him. He hadn't talked to him again until he called to let him know that he was leaving Italy. He still loved his brother very much. He couldn't just leave the country without saying goodbye.

All those old memories haunted Angelo now as he paced around this place that was supposed to be his new home. He knew that he needed to face all of this with Frankie. He needed his brother back in his life. He smiled as he thought about his beautiful niece. He couldn't help but wonder how she was doing. Was she engaged? Was she married? He hoped she was happy. He hoped that she still loved him and could forgive him for not being a part of her life the last couple of years.

Angelo finally fell asleep on the couch while he thought about his family. It had been too long. He needed to apologize for all the wrongs he had done. He needed his family now more than ever. That would be the request he would make of Lee Stetson when he saw him. He would stop trying to escape if Lee would make the arrangements through the Agency to bring his family to him. He wanted to be able to apologize to his brother in person. He very much needed a huge hug from his beautiful niece.

**TBC**


	44. Chapter 44 - Forgiveness

**Chapter 44 – Forgiveness**

"I have to confess that I'm nervous," Francesca blurted out. She and Lee were making their way to Angelo's current home. As he drove them to Angelo's neighborhood, Lee explained about how Amanda had helped convince Angelo to let the Agency buy a different house in hopes it would help him adjust. The current one already had too many memories of Eva in it.

"You'll be fine. Just be yourself, okay?" Lee said as he put his hand on her arm and gave it an encouraging squeeze.

"Yeah, thanks Lee," Francesca said as she flashed a smile at him.

Lee smiled back as he thought about what an amazing smile she did have. He could see why Ehsan seemed to be attracted to her. He chuckled to himself as he wondered if Ehsan realized yet that he had feelings for her. Sometimes the male population didn't notice things that were right in front of their noses. Well hopefully Ehsan would realize it before she moved on. He was sure that she had similar feelings for Ehsan. They would make a cute couple.

"Are we almost there?" Francesca's question brought Lee back to the present moment.

"Yes, it just a couple of blocks away. I should probably go in first and make sure he is awake," Lee suggested. He was concerned that Angelo might be heading for a meltdown and he didn't want Francesca to witness anything bad.

"If you think that is best," Francesca agreed as she flashed him another of her beautiful smiles. It was beginning to occur to Lee that she reminded him a lot of Amanda. She was very sincere, and had a calming way about her. Perhaps with both Amanda and Francesca working together, they could help Angelo adjust and settle down.

Lee pulled up in front of Angelo's home and got out of the car. He hurried to the front door and knocked loudly. Almost immediately the door opened and Lee was face to face with Angelo.

"Lee, we need to talk," Angelo said quickly and then turned to head back inside. Lee hesitated for a minute. He glanced quickly at his car, but something about the way Angelo was acting convinced him that he should follow him inside. He was certain that Francesca would understand.

Lee walked into the house and found Angelo pacing in the living room with his head down as if deep in thought.

"Are you okay?" Lee asked Angelo.

"I want to see my family," Angelo blurted out as he abruptly stopped pacing and glared into Lee's face. "I have agreed to do everything the Agency has asked of me. I think this is the least that can be done for me."

Lee was stunned to hear this. Nothing could be more perfect than having Angelo make this demand right at this moment.

"I don't want to fight about this Lee," Angelo continued in a forceful voice. "I am not willing to compromise. If you really want me to stay here and allow the Agency to dictate my moves, then I don't think this is too much to ask, do you?"

Lee shook his head in agreement. "Okay Angelo. If you promise to stay under our protection and stop trying to run off, I am sure we can accommodate this request. Would you make that promise?" Lee questioned.

"Yes, I would. How soon can you bring them here?" Angelo asked.

"Hang on, I need to go look at something in my car," Lee answered. Lee found himself barely able to contain himself as he rushed out the door. This was going much easier than he would have ever imagined. He forced himself to walk at a normal pace to his car. He opened the door and held out his hand to help Francesca get out of the car. "He just asked for you. He promised to settle down if I would bring you here," Lee told her.

"Me?" Francesca asked with confusion in her voice. "He asked for me specifically?"

"Well no. He asked for his family," Lee confessed. "I will tell him that we haven't reached his brother yet." Francesca glared at him as she realized that he planned to continue this charade. She refused the arm he offered to guide her up the walkway. Lee shrugged as he led the way to the house. He opened the front door and motioned for her to enter ahead of him. He called out to Angelo and Angelo answered back that he was in the kitchen.

Angelo had poured himself a hot cup of coffee and was now collapsed in a kitchen chair. His lack of sleep from the night before was beginning to catch up with him. He didn't even bother to look up as Lee and Francesca entered the kitchen.

Francesca stood watching her uncle for a moment. She couldn't believe how much he had changed. The first really noticeable difference was that he had aged so much. The second was that he looked so defeated. She remembered her uncle as always being confident in himself and being in control. It was very clear that he didn't feel any of that right now.

"Do you mind if I pour myself a cup of coffee?" Francesca asked quietly.

Angelo's head snapped upward as his eyes locked with hers. His face showed the bewilderment that he was feeling as he looked at her as if she was a ghost. "Micino?" He asked in barely a whisper. "Is that really you?"

"It is me Uncle Angelo. Do I get a hug?" Francesca asked.

"Of course," Angelo said as he slowly rose from the table. He was still in disbelief that she was standing in front of him. She rushed into his arms as the two of them began to weep. It brought back such memories of all the times in the past when she had rushed into his arms. His heart swelled with his love for her.

"Oh my dear, darling niece, I have thought of you so many times in the past couple of years. I can not believe you are here. I have missed you so much and, I owe you so much for deserting you like I did. Please tell me that you are happy and that life is treating you okay?" Angelo said as he managed to get his emotions back under control. He pulled away so he could look Francesca in her eyes.

Francesca glanced at Lee quickly and then said, "Everything is fine Uncle Angelo. I'm happier now that I know you are okay. Lee told me about Eva. I'm really sorry."

"Yeah, well I'm the one who is sorry. I deserted my whole family over a woman. I'm not sure how any of you will be able to forgive me. I hope you can someday though. You must know that you mean the world to me. I was so foolish to have trusted Eva so much. She convinced me that it was best if we eloped even though I wanted my family at the wedding. Then as soon as we were married, she insisted that we needed to leave immediately for Russia. I'm so ashamed of all that I did back then. I could have told her no but I never did. I was so much in love with her that I lost all my common sense," Angelo said as he hung his head in regret.

Francesca pulled him back into her embrace. "Of course I forgive you! There is nothing to forgive Uncle Angelo. We have all fallen in love at one time or another and done things we regretted. It just means you are human. I do have to wonder how a man who has spent his life researching theories in ESP didn't use them in this instance though," Francesca said in a teasing voice.

Angelo didn't realize she was teasing him at first. As he began to get worked up and try to defend himself, he noticed the grin on Francesca's face. Oh Micino, you are teasing me?"

Francesca laughed heartedly and admitted, "I'm sorry. I just couldn't resist. Has no one else pointed that out?"

Angelo began laughing hysterically as he realized how right she was. As his laughter subsided and he caught his breath he gasped, "No, no one else has called me on that. Leave it to you to take care of it though Micino."

Lee was impressed as he watched Francesca take charge with Angelo. There was no doubt that Angelo loved his niece very much. He seemed to be tolerant of her saying things to him that he would have not tolerated from others. He smiled inwardly because this might just work after all. There was one thing he needed to know though. "What does Micino mean?" Lee asked curiously.

Francesca and Angelo exchanged knowing looks. Then, Angelo explained to Lee, "I have called her that since she was born. Micino is Italian for kitten. Since it still fits her today, I have never stopped calling her that. As a baby, she was all cute and cuddly. You should never underestimate someone because they look small and vulnerable. When she needs to defend herself or a loved one, the claws come out and watch out. She's one tough lady and I'm so proud of her."

Lee nodded as he heard this explanation. How well he remembered meeting her for the first time. If she didn't think Ehsan was on the way, Lee was sure she would have handled him on her own. It was probably to his benefit that she waited for Ehsan that day.

Lee smiled and winked at Francesca as he said, "I'm not surprised. Look, why don't I get out of here and let you two catch up. I have a million things to do at the office. I'm sure the two of you would like some time alone. I'll let Amanda know to wait until this afternoon to stop by, okay?"

"Thanks Lee," Angelo said as he walked him to the door and watched him walk down the walkway to his car. As Lee slid into his car, he breathed a sigh of relief. Angelo seemed totally satisfied with Francesca being there. Maybe he wouldn't ask about his brother. Lee could only hope that Francesca could keep his mind off from that topic. Lee put the car in gear and headed for the office.

**TBC**


	45. Chapter 45 - Lunch

**Chapter 45 – Lunch**

The café was near Angelo's house. In fact, Amanda had pointed it out to Angelo when she was showing him around. It was a very cozy spot for the neighbors to meet for a cup of coffee and a sandwich. The inside was decorated in a 70's theme which included a jukebox. Someone had just dropped a quarter and The Eagles were singing about Hotel California.

Amanda took another sip of her coffee as she continued to listen to Lee explain what he knew about Angelo's niece. Amanda was pleasantly surprised that Lee had thought to contact Angelo's family for him. Sometimes Lee showed signs of empathy that were completely unexpected. Amanda mused to herself that Lee Stetson was much more complicated than any man she had ever met.

Earlier that morning, she was just getting out of the shower when she heard the phone ringing. She had thrown a towel around her body and raced to answer it. Her gut told her that it was an important call about Angelo. Since everyone else had already left the house, she was glad she got out of the shower just in time to answer it.

She felt a moment of quick satisfaction as she heard Lee's voice on the other end. She quickly suppressed her gloating so she could concentrate on what was being said. As Lee talked, Amanda's curiosity began to get the better of her. Lee quickly explained that there was a new development with Angelo, and that she didn't need to go to his house until after lunch. He then suggested meeting her at this café where he would treat her to a cup of coffee and lunch. What kind of development would make it so Lee trusted Angelo without her there to babysit him?

Her mind returned to the present as she stared into Lee's eyes. He did have nice eyes. She quickly snapped herself out of her trance while noticing that Lee had barely touched his meatball sub. He had been so busy telling Amanda about Francesca that he hadn't taken time to eat. Meanwhile, Amanda had devoured her whole tuna salad sandwich while she listened to him. She remembered as they were ordering that she had only had an orange for breakfast so she was starving.

"You seem encouraged that Francesca is what Angelo needed to get through his pain of losing Eva," Amanda suggested. "It is always nice to have family to fall back on during the hard times."

As Amanda's words came out, Lee's facial expression changed to a pained look. Amanda realized immediately that she had hurt him. "I'm sorry Lee. You know that Billy is like a father to you though. He will always be there for you when you need him," Amanda said quickly while trying to recover from hurting Lee's feelings.

"He has been. More than once," Lee said almost under his breath.

Amanda noticed that Lee's facial expression seemed to have a faraway look like he remembered something from his past. It gave her a sense that the bond between Lee and Billy was even stronger than she had thought.

Lee quickly snapped back to the present and continued where he left off. "Of course Angelo still doesn't want a car. I was hoping you wouldn't mind spending a little more time with him. You could drive them around, and you know, keep an eye on things. It would just be for a few more days while Francesca is visiting."

"Sure, I could do that. Won't I be in the way though? I mean, couldn't the agency just lend them a car?" Amanda asked.

Lee nodded in agreement and said, "Yes, we could. However, with Angelo still being upset, I just thought it would best if you were still there. He trusts you Amanda. He doesn't trust very easily right now. Shall we go?" Lee asked suddenly as he stood up. Amanda nodded in agreement.

As Lee guided her out of the café, she noticed that he still hadn't eaten much of his lunch. She decided not to point it out to him. Her instincts were warning her that Lee hadn't told her everything. He seemed uneasy and uncomfortable as he had shared Francesca's story with her. She didn't believe that Lee would lie to her, but she knew he followed the mantra of 'need to know.' Was there more to Francesca's story that Lee felt Amanda didn't need to know? It left her a bit unsettled. She liked Angelo though and it was important that he find peace in his life. She had promised to help him. She would not break that promise.

**TBC**


	46. Chapter 46 - Meeting Francesca

**Chapter 46 – Meeting Francesca**

Francesca and Angelo had spent a nice morning together. Angelo opened up to her and shared some of what he had experienced in the past couple of years. Francesca shared what she could of her life and some of the adventures that she had been on. She managed to avoid talking about her recent adventure with Lee. More importantly, she avoided talking about her father. Angelo seemed content to just hear about her life and didn't bring up his brother at all. He asked her many questions until he was satisfied that she was truly happy and doing well.

At lunchtime, Angelo had a pizza delivered. They sat and reminisced about the time he had taken her out to their favorite pizza place in Italy and she had met a very cute boy there. The boy had been with his parents, but was obviously making eyes at Francesca. When Angelo realized it, he had convinced her to go say hi to him. He had been the first boy that she ever dated and the romance had lasted a whole month. She chuckled as she remembered how proud her uncle had been to play matchmaker.

"Is there anyone in your life now or should I find you another man?" Angelo teased her.

"Uncle Angelo, you don't need to find me a man!" Francesca tried to appear upset but couldn't fake it as she began laughing. "Seriously, I'm not interested in anyone right now. I just want to be independent for awhile, okay?"

"Yeah, I understand," he said while nodding in agreement. The image of Eva being put into the police car went quickly through his mind as he stared at the piece of pizza on his plate. He suddenly lost his appetite.

Angelo found himself relieved when their conversation was interrupted by the doorbell. Angelo got up to see who it was and a minute later returned to the kitchen with Lee and Amanda.

"Micino, this is Amanda. She works part time with Lee. She has been very kind to me since I have arrived in the states," Angelo explained.

"Hi, you can call me Francesca. Only my uncle calls me Micino since it is his pet name for me," Francesca said quickly as she stood up to shake Amanda's hand.

"That's very sweet. It means kitten, right?" Amanda asked. Lee's head involuntarily jerked up as he stared at Amanda in surprise. How did she know the meaning of Micino? Would she ever stop surprising him?

"Yes, it does. It is nice to meet you Amanda. Are the two of you hungry? We just finished eating and there is plenty of pizza left," Francesca offered.

"No thank you, we just ate," Amanda said while Lee grabbed a slice and focused intently on eating it. "Thanks, I guess I didn't eat enough at lunch," Lee explained as he chewed the pizza he had stuffed into his mouth. Amanda couldn't help but notice how strangely Lee was acting. Did he have a crush on this woman? Was he now attracted to Angelo's niece? Amanda reasoned that it seemed very unlikely as she wasn't exactly his type. Not only did she have the most beautiful black hair that Amanda had ever seen, but she also seemed to be extremely intelligent. Surely Lee was not considering a relationship with her just for the sake of getting even with Angelo? No, Lee wouldn't do that, she decided. What was wrong with him then? Something just wasn't adding up. As she studied the situation, she couldn't help but notice that Lee and Francesca seemed to know each other. They weren't saying it but their body language suggested it. Was there a reason that this had to be kept a secret from Angelo? The mystery deepened as the time passed.

Angelo had made a fresh pot of coffee so they could each take a mug into the living room where it would be more comfortable. No one brought up Eva, but instead kept the conversation about Amanda's family and her two boys. She shared some of the antics that Philip had done in the past in hopes of lightening the mood. It worked well. As she finished telling about the time that Philip had used Dotty's best cooking pot to start a worm farm, Lee suddenly announced he had to leave. He explained that he should be catching up with paperwork at the Agency.

"Is he okay?" Francesca asked as the door shut behind Lee.

Amanda shrugged and answered, "He's been acting strange all afternoon. It really isn't like him to act that way." Amanda continued as she tried to make excuses for him. "I'm sure there is probably some big case he's working on that he needs to get back to."

"Sure, I'll bet that's it. Well to be honest, I would really like to take a nap myself. I'm feeling the jet lag from the flight here. Do you mind?" Francesca asked them both.

"No, not at all. If you are both all set, I should get home to Mother and the boys," Amanda answered.

"Thank you for stopping in Amanda. Micino and I will probably spend most of the day tomorrow catching up, so you don't need to come over if you don't want to," Angelo suggested.

"Oh, I don't mind. Why don't I come over at lunchtime and I can bring a nice casserole for all of us, okay?" Amanda offered.

"Amanda is a very good cook," Angelo praised her. "We accept your offer!"

Amanda beamed at him as she thanked him for the compliment. She gathered her purse and then let Angelo walk her to the door. He gave her a quick hug while thanking her for stopping by.

As Amanda got into her car, she couldn't help but feel relief that Angelo seemed to be doing much better. It seemed that bringing Francesca here was exactly what he needed. It looked promising that everything might return to normal for him now.

**TBC**


	47. Chapter 47 - Perfect Timing

**Chapter 47 – Perfect Timing**

It was her lucky day when she stepped off that plane in Sri Lanka and met Ehsan. It had taken every ounce of courage she had to make that flight since she had no idea what she would find or if it was even worth her time. She just knew that she had to try. Imagine not only finding a man to protect her in such a dangerous county but one who had all the connections she could hope for. It seemed almost like a dream now. She had so little to go by at the time other than the man had known her father. That opened the door up pretty wide since it seemed like her father knew everyone. It soon became apparent that Ehsan trusted her since he never questioned anything she did or who she talked to. It allowed her to become more confident about asking the important questions to many people in hopes that she would hit on someone who knew the answers.

The time seemed to drag on for months, but it was actually only weeks before she got her first break. A man who went by the name of Sam agreed to meet with her. He told her that he might know the person she was looking for. He picked a scary, seedy looking bar on the outskirts of town which left Francesca wondering if she should have agreed to go. It turned out that he was harmless though and provided some really important information about the man in question. Sam assured her that he had been a close friend of her father's since his high school days. He also was sure that this man not only knew who had killed her father, but more importantly, why,

It amazed her that she had to travel all the way to Sri Lanka to find out this information. She had spent months trying to find it from her home in Italy, but no one had seemed to want to talk about it. When she asked her father's co-workers for information, they all claimed they didn't know much about her father. They kept insisting that they just worked with him, and that they didn't spend time with him outside of work. It was only because she walked in on a conversation one day that she found out about the Sri Lanka connection. Her father had to travel now and then for business, or at least that is what the family was told. He would come home exhausted and barely talk for a few days afterward. He never showed them pictures of his trips or talked about them. Francesca always wondered why her mother didn't question these trips, but her mother had trusted and loved her father very much. As she thought about her mother, she found herself tearing up. Her mother's death had been so sudden. Francesca was only in her first month at the university when it happened. She remembered it like it was yesterday though. She was returning from a party when she was met by the dorm's Resident Director. She was told to call home immediately. She remembered collapsing into a chair as her father sobbed into the phone that her mother was dead. She had a heart attack while out shopping that day. The paramedics had rushed her to the hospital, but it was too late. She died a few hours later. Francesca was devastated. She put all her grief into her studies so that she could graduate at the top of her class. She was determined to make her mother proud of her. She remembered that it was Uncle Angelo who had been there to comfort and console her after her mother's death. Her father seemed to isolate himself while turning very bitter. She found herself being pushed away by him more and more every day. After awhile, Francesca stopped trying to convince him to spend time with her. He didn't seem to be able to move past her mother's death. He was no longer the same man that she remembered growing up. She still loved him, but he had changed. He had become reckless and even came close to losing his job several times. Fortunately his boss admired him so much that he kept giving him more chances. Francesca had known about all of that but she chose to stay in denial. When people would ask her about her father after his death, she always told them what an amazing man he was. There was no reason to soil his memory.

Sam had given her the name of this man who had known her father so well. He also told her where to find him. She wasn't sure what he could tell her, but no one else had done anything to help her. His name was John Riley. Fearing for his life, he had fled Italy and escaped to Sri Lanka only a few months before. He had seen too much and knew too much and he feared for his life. He did agree to meet with her for the sake of Frankie. As they sat in a different bar on the other side of town, he told her how much she looked like her father. He then told her about her father's younger days when he dated a different woman every night. He had always been very social and he loved people. He trusted people way too much too. John shared the story about how Frankie met her mother. It was truly love at first sight for him and he never regretted marrying her. She was exactly what Frankie had needed. When they announced that there was going to be a baby, John said that Frankie was so excited he could barely contain himself. He had loved Francesca so much and would have done anything for her. He gave away the career that he had spent his whole childhood dreaming about so that he could make a better life for all of them. Frankie had been happy being a coach. He met a lot of wonderful people while making a lot of connections. As time went by, he watched Francesca grow up into an amazing woman. Frankie would boast about her all the time. John told her that he was so proud of her.

After her mother's death, John, too, saw Frankie fall apart. He became a border line alcoholic and a womanizer. John was one of Frankie's best friends and he tried to warn him to be careful because he was too trusting. Frankie would laugh it off and tell him that he could take care of himself. John believed that it was on one of his trips that Frankie met the woman who was responsible for his death. He explained that Frankie had come to the US on business. It didn't take long for him to find the night life and he was in a different club each night. During one of those nights, a woman approached him and introduced herself as Tina. She asked him to dance and wouldn't take no for an answer. Later, she invited him to her apartment. Soon, it became apparent that they were spending a lot of time together.

When he arrived back in Italy, he told John about the strange encounter. He didn't have any feelings for the woman, but she seemed determined to be a part of his life. He was still so full of sadness of the death of his wife that he dismissed his lack of feelings towards Tina. John dismissed the whole thing and had forgotten about it. He figured that the affair was over when Frankie returned to Italy. He didn't know until much later that Tina had stayed in contact with Frankie. She had acted like a jealous wife who demanded to know where he was at all times. She also wanted to know who was with him. Frankie confessed to John that it was Tina who first told him that Angelo was in prison in Russia. All of John's instincts screamed that something was very wrong. He begged Frankie to call the police, but Frankie was embarrassed about the whole thing.

Just before he died, Frankie had called John one last time. He confided in him that Tina was threatening him. She demanded to know ways to make Angelo work with the Russians and told Frankie that he would regret it if he didn't help them. It was less than two weeks later that Frankie was found floating in the Alcantara River. It had been made to look like a suicide, but the police were soon able to determine due to the angle of the bullet hole, that someone killed him. John realized immediately that Tina had been somehow responsible. As he told the story to Francesca, he watched her face show her many emotions ranging from anger to despair and then back to anger. He begged her to let it go. It wouldn't bring Frankie back if she got herself killed trying to bring his killer to justice. Francesca had simply asked where she could find Tina. John reluctantly told her that he only knew that she lived in DC somewhere. He was quite positive about this information because Frankie would travel to DC to solicit funding for his sports team. He had connections in the White House and sometimes he could get financial aid if he timed it right. To John's knowledge, he had no reason to go anywhere else in the United States.

Francesca promised John that she would never tell anyone that they had talked. John was afraid because the Russians knew that he had been close to Frankie. He told Francesca that soon after her father's death, he had begun receiving threatening phone calls that reminded him to keep his mouth shut if he didn't want to go for a swim too. In the end, he decided to run. He felt that Sri Lanka was safe since it was such a dangerous country. Ironically, he hoped that it would not enter their minds that he would seek safety there. It scared him that Francesca had found him so easily, but she assured him that she had to work really hard to uncover his whereabouts. She knew that he would be buying a plane ticket out of there the next day. It didn't matter at that point to her because she had what she needed.

She would have been on a flight the next day too, but she couldn't let Ehsan down. He had been good to her, and it was his contacts that had helped her find the information she needed. The least she could do was to stay through his mission. Besides, she wanted Tina to become really comfortable and think that she had gotten away with murder. When it was time to go back to Italy, Francesca planned to fly to DC immediately after landing. Those plans also were changed when Ehsan insisted that she come to work with him at the Italian Agency. Her instincts told her to just tell him no, but her logic told her that she would need an alibi. Ehsan would be a perfect cover if she continued to work with him.

So when the call came from Lee about her uncle, she couldn't believe her luck. Once again everything had perfect timing. She had known that Lee was part of the American Agency, but somehow she hadn't realized he worked in DC. It seemed fitting that the man who might be the connection for why her father was killed, would be the man who would help her find his killer. When Lee told her not to tell Angelo about her father's death, she had to pretend that she would consider it. She had no intentions upon keeping it from Angelo. She needed his help now and she knew that Angelo would feel guilty when he learned about his brother's death. It all seemed too perfect.

As she said her good nights to her uncle, she grabbed the phone book off the counter. She needed to try to locate a few people. She would also need to talk to Eva. She had a feeling that Eva knew who was involved in all of this. Francesca just needed to figure out a way to convince Lee to suggest she talk to Eva. After all, he was already feeling guilty about asking Francesca to lie to her uncle. She could clearly see he was uncomfortable when he was there with Amanda earlier. It was time to prey on that guilt.

**TBC**.


	48. Chapter 48 - Too Much Thinking

**Chapter 48 – Too Much Thinking**

Lee slammed his hands down on his car's steering wheel as he headed to the agency. He hated lying to Angelo. Of course, he wasn't truly lying since the subject of Angelo's brother hadn't come up. However, he could hear Amanda's raspy voice in his head scolding him because by not telling him because he didn't ask wasn't any different than not telling him just for the sake of not telling him. Even in his head, he could envision her ramble as she chastised him. Maybe he should have told Francesca it was okay to tell her uncle after all. Certainly the man had a right to know. Lee considered turning the car around, but he made himself keep going. This was not a time for emotions and telling Angelo would only jeopardize things right now.

Lee pulled into a parking spot in front of the agency. It was time for Billy to assign him a new case so he could take a step back from this one. He would phone Amanda later and make sure she was keeping an eye on things. On second thought, maybe he would stop by in hopes of being able to talk to her for a few minutes in her back yard. With that decision made, Lee headed into the agency.

**TBC**


	49. Ch 49 Truth Does Not Always Set You Free

**Chapter 49 – The Truth Doesn't Always Set You Free**

Angelo couldn't believe how much peace he had found since Francesca's arrival. He really loved her and had missed being a part of her life. He had been so busy catching up with her that his own brother had totally slipped his mind. He thought about knocking on her bedroom door to see if she was still awake so he could ask about him, but decided that it could wait until morning. He was eager to talk to him though and make amends for deserting him for Eva.

Angelo slept for the first time in several nights. He hadn't realized just how tired he truly was until his head hit the pillow. It seemed like only a few hours later that he heard Francesca moving around and realized that it was already 8am. After dressing, he stumbled out into the kitchen while still wiping the sleep from his eyes.

"Hi Uncle Angelo. You still look tired. Did you get any sleep?" Francesca asked him as she rushed to give him a morning hug.

He smiled at her as he explained, "It was the best night's sleep I have had in a long time. I'm so happy you are here."

"I'm happy to be here," Francesca admitted as they parted. "Do you want some coffee? I just brewed it."

"That would be nice," Angelo said as Francesca poured him a cup of the hot liquid.

They sat down opposite each other at the kitchen table so they could enjoy their coffee as they talked.

"So how is my brother?" Angelo abruptly asked.

The silence in the room was suddenly deafening as Francesca looked at him while pretending to be in shock.

"What is the matter Micino? Angelo asked. "Is there something wrong with my brother?"

"Lee did not tell you?" Francesca continued in disbelief.

"Tell me what? Micino, please tell me what you are talking about."

"Uncle Angelo, I don't know how to tell you this, but my father is dead."

Angelo's face crumbled as this news hit him like a dagger going through his heart. "Dead? My brother is dead? But how…?" Angelo managed to whisper quietly as he tried to keep from screaming out in anguish.

"He was murdered. I can't believe no one told you. I'm so sorry Uncle Angelo. I just assumed that you knew," Francesca let her tears fall as she held his hand. The tears were the only part of her act that wasn't faked since she was still grief stricken at the loss of her father.

"Murdered?" Angelo gasped out as his voice went from sadness to anger. "Why would anyone murder Frankie? Everyone loved Frankie. Damn it! Why didn't Lee tell me any of this? He and that damn agency are no better than the Russians. They don't give a damn about me, they just want my knowledge. How dare they keep this information from me!" Angelo raged.

Seeing how angry her uncle had suddenly become, Francesca wondered if she had gone too far. She had wanted his help, but maybe this wasn't the way to enlist it.

"I'm sorry Uncle Angelo. They probably intended to tell you later. I know Lee was really worried about you which is why he asked if I would come visit you." She grabbed his hand again and tried to calm him down. He would be no help to her if his anger spun him out of control.

Angelo's heart seemed to be beating out of control. As he looked into his lovely niece's eyes, he realized he needed to calm down for her sake. He forced himself to relax.

"Can you tell me what happened?" Angelo asked Francesca.

"I'm not sure I really know. I just know that he was involved with some woman from this area. It is possible his killer is living nearby," Francesca confided.

"Then let's go find her and make her tell us why my brother was murdered!" Angelo exclaimed as he furiously jumped out of his chair and headed for the front door.

"Woah, slow down Uncle Angelo. We don't know who we are looking for," Francesca panicked seeing him so out of control again. Maybe she had made a mistake after all.

Angelo stopped dead in his tracks and looked back at her. "You don't know her name?" he asked.

"I only know her first name might be Tina. That could be an alias though," Francesca admitted.

"Well damn it, Lee has to help us. It's the least he can do," Angelo said as he headed for the phone.

"NO! Lee doesn't know that my father was murdered. He only knows he is dead. Please Uncle Angelo, come back to the table and let's talk about this," Francesca begged.

Angelo sighed and returned to the table. "It sounds like you have a plan?" he suggested.

"I do. I need your help, but you need to control your emotions. Do you think you can?" Francesca asked.

Angelo slowly nodded in agreement as he asked, "So what is the plan?"

"Remember, this is for the sake of my father, your brother, okay?" Francesca tried to set the stage for what she was going to ask of him.

"Okay? Go ahead, I'm listening." Angelo said.

"We need to go visit Eva," Francesca said quietly.

"Absolutely not! No way!" Angelo exploded while Francesca watched in silence. Her uncle was about to destroy all her work and there seemed to be nothing she could do to stop him. She was already regretting that she told him.

**TBC**.


	50. Chapter 50 - Hard Decisions

**Chapter 50 – Hard Decisions**

Did she make a mistake? Her original plan had been to convince Lee to let her visit Eva without telling her uncle. Maybe she should have stuck with that plan.

After suggesting that they needed to talk to Eva, Angelo had been so angry that he went outside and was pacing in the backyard. He had been out there for nearly thirty minutes so far. Francesca had just about decided to give up on this idea when Angelo quietly came inside.

"I'm sorry," he said simply. "I hope you understand what you are asking of me. I'm not sure Eva will tell you the truth anyway. What makes you think she can help us?"

"Eva is involved with the KGB. If my father was killed because he is your brother, than she would likely have information about it," Francesca said in a soft, gentle voice. She hoped that if she stayed calm, then maybe she would convince her uncle to help her. "She owes you Uncle Angelo for using you. I think if we met with her, she might feel guilty enough to help us find some answers."

"She is a heartless woman. I am not sure she has the ability to feel guilt or even sorry for the heartache she has caused me," Angelo said sorrowfully.

"Well right now, she is our best chance of discovering the truth. I'll let you think about it," Francesca said as she prepared to go to her room.

"Wait!" Angelo begged as he sighed in resignation. "I'll do it. When do you want to go?"

The doorbell interrupted them before she could answer him. Angelo shrugged in response to Francesca's questioning face. He went to the front door. As he opened it, Amanda rushed in with her hands full of food.

"Hello! I hope you are hungry. I know I'm a little early, but I thought that you might be hungry if you skipped breakfast," Amanda explained as she hurried into the kitchen while seemingly oblivious that she had interrupted something important.

Amanda quickly went to work dishing the hot food onto plates for each of them. The smell of the food did stimulate everyone's appetites and Angelo found himself grateful once again for Amanda being around. After everyone had devoured their fill, Amanda began clearing the table.

Angelo said quietly to his niece, "I think we might have a ride."

"Amanda? Are you doing anything this afternoon?" Angelo asked.

"I don't have any set plans Angelo. Why do you need something?" Amanda asked.

"Would you mind giving us a ride?" Angelo asked.

"No, I don't mind. Where do you need to go?" Amanda asked curiously.

"I want to see Eva," Angelo stated.

"What? Angelo, are you sure? I don't think that is a good idea. Let me call Lee and see what he thinks," Amanda suggested.

"NO! This is none of Lee's business. She is my wife and I have a right to see her. We still have things we need to discuss. Will you take me or do we need to call a cab?" Angelo inquired a bit angrily.

Amanda realized that his mind was already made up. She could either help him or she could let him go on his own which could mean even more trouble. At least if she was there, she could report what happened back to Lee.

"I will take you," She agreed reluctantly.

"Thank you. We will meet you outside in a minute," Angelo said in a determined voice. Amanda sighed while realizing that he had just dismissed her like a servant.

After she went outside, Francesca said, "Uncle Angelo is it wise to include her? She's connected to the Agency."

"I know. It could be worse if we don't include her though. Amanda is a nice woman. We can use her services to chauffeur us around. Let's not tell her about my brother though. If she knows too much, she will feel the need to tell Lee. As long as we can convince her that she is helping me with adjusting to this life, she will agree to pretty much anything."

"You know what is best Uncle Angelo. Come on before she grows weary of waiting for us," Francesca said as she slipped her hand through Angelo's arm so he could escort her to the car.

**TBC**.


	51. Chapter 51 - Eva Revisited

A/N - My apologies for the wait. Life challenged me and I seem to be losing right now.

**Chapter 51 – Eva Revisited**

Angelo was thankful that the authorities had not had a chance to move Eva to a more securitized prison yet. That would not happen until after her trial. When they had first arrested her, Lee had told Angelo that she would be held at a facility in D.C. The Agency could keep better tabs on her this way and would be in charge of handling her case. Angelo had asked if they would need him to testify and Lee had assured him that he could make that decision as the time drew closer. At the time, Angelo hadn't wanted anything more to do with her. Now, he felt that she could give him the answers he so desperately wanted to find about his brother. It had worked to his benefit that Lee had informed him where Eva would be held. As they all got into Amanda's car, he gave her the address. She begged him one more time to reconsider, but his mind was made up. Amanda reluctantly drove them to the facility.

After parking the lot in the back of the building, the three of them walked through the front entrance together.

Angelo continued to the front desk while the other two stayed back.

"I'm here to see my wife," Angelo told the desk clerk. "Her name is Eva Spinelli."

"Does anyone know you were coming?" the clerk asked.

"No, I didn't know I would need an appointment. Look, I just want to talk to her for a few minutes. We have some unfinished things to talk about. She owes me an explanation," Angelo said in a frustrated voice.

The clerk couldn't help but feel sorry for this young man who stood before her. "Please have a seat sir and let me see what I can do," she said. She entered her code into a door to the left of her desk.

As the clerk disappeared down a hallway and the door shut behind her, Amanda once again asked, "Angelo? Are you sure you want to do this?"

"I have to Amanda. You don't understand. There are things that we need to discuss. Trust me. It is best that I talk to her now," Angelo explained.

He found himself struggling to keep his emotions under control while he waited for Eva to be brought out to see him. How was he going to face this woman who had betrayed him so deeply? Did she have anything to do with his brother's death? He might strangle her with his bare hands if she admitted that she did. How did he stay with her all that time and not see the true side of her? He scowled as he silently chided himself. "You were too much in love with the woman to see the truth. You are an idiot Angelo Spinelli!" He realized that Amanda was staring at him as his emotional thoughts so clearly played across his face. He forced himself to try to clear and calm his mind before Amanda's motherly instincts took over. He was grateful when the clerk returned and announced that she had gotten clearance for him to meet with Eva.

He arose and then noticed that Amanda had stood up along with Francesca.

"Amanda, do you mind if my niece and I do this alone? We will be okay. My niece needs to have her say with Eva too. We won't be long. I promise."

Amanda sighed and said "If you are really sure Angelo. I will be right out here if you need me."

"Thank you for understanding. Trust me, it is for the best." Angelo said as he gently guided Francesca to the room where the police officer was waiting for them.

As they entered the room, they could see that it was set up for these kinds of meetings. Eva was in a chair on the other side of a glass wall. Angelo observed that they could communicate through a small opening in the middle of the glass. However, they were unable to touch each other. Eva's head was lowered as they entered the room. It appeared that she was in deep thought.

"I'll be right outside," the officer said as he closed the door behind him. Angelo's eyes never strayed from glaring at Eva. She slowly lifted her head as she locked eyes with Angelo. At first she seemed oblivious to Francesca's presence, but then she suddenly tore her eyes from Angelo to scowl at her.

"She's a little young for you, don't you think Angelo?" Eva growled.

"Eva, this is my niece, Francesca," Angelo told her while ignoring her nasty comment.

"Oh, so this is the precious niece you talked about so much. Sometimes I wondered if she was more important to you than I was," Eva continued to bait him.

"Apparently not since he left his whole family behind for the likes of you," Francesca interrupted Eva's dramatics with her own rude comments.

"Can we please just stop?" Angelo begged. "Look Eva, it has come to my attention that you might have some information about my brother. We came here today so you could share that information with us."

"And why would I do that?" Eva spat out.

"Why? Why? Why wouldn't you? My father is dead and likely you had something to do with it or at least know who might be responsible. You can't be punished for it now, but you could at least give us some closure so we can understand what happened and why. Don't you think you owe my Uncle Angelo that much at least?" Francesca demanded.

"I did not kill your father and I didn't have anything to do with his death. Quite frankly, it is insulting that you would suggest such a thing!" Eva said scornfully.

"So you are going to sit there and play innocent about this? My father never had an enemy in his life. He was loved by all who met him. His death must be linked to you and the KGB. How can you sit there and know you are still hurting my uncle?" Francesca continued pushing her. Meanwhile, Angelo stood silently listening to the exchange between the two women. Seeing Eva again so soon had caused all kinds of emotions to swirl around in his brain and he was struggling to keep control. As he stood watching her act like the victim, he finally erupted. "Damn it, Eva. He was my brother! I gave up my whole family for you, for a lie! You may not have killed him but you damn sure know something about this. Now tell me or else I will come through that glass!" Angelo stormed.

For a brief second, Eva's eyes showed fear but she quickly masked it. "I'm sorry to disappoint you Angelo, but the only thing I know is that he was to be brought in to try to convince you to help us. The KGB did not tell me about his death until it happened. I do not know if it was a planned event or if it was an accident."

"Event? You call my brother's murder an event? You are something else!" Angelo raged on. "What did your precious KGB friends tell you about this little event of theirs? Surely there had to be some explanation when they informed you?"

"Let it go Angelo. Don't you think there has been enough pain associated with all of this? You are walking on thin ground. These people play hardball and they won't tolerate you snooping around where you shouldn't be," Eva said in an almost sincere tone. "Besides, digging up these past events can only cause more suffering for all those involved."

"He was my brother! I have a right to know. Damn it Eva. How can you be so heartless? How did I not notice that I was married to a stone all this time?" Angelo continued to lose his temper with her.

"I do care about you Angelo. That is why I'm trying to keep you from doing anything that will get you killed. The KGB will be sending in more people to try to kidnap you. They do not like having a reputation of losing someone that they decide is valuable to them. Your brother refused to listen to them. Even using soft tactics did nothing to persuade him. In the end, your brother knew too much and was too much of a liability," Eva continued to explain.

"Knew too much of what? What are you talking about?" Angelo asked.

"I have said too much already. Please just go home Angelo," Eva pleaded with him. "Forget about this. Go to church and light a candle for your brother and let him rest in peace. He would not want you to be killed while trying to get your answers. I have nothing more to say. GUARD! Take me back to my cell now please," Eva demanded as she stood up quickly. Without as much of a backward glance, she left Angelo and Francesca staring after her with more questions than answers.

**TBC**.


	52. Chapter 52 - What Would a Good Spy Do?

**Chapter 52 – What would a Good Spy Do?**

Amanda hadn't ever felt so torn over any assignment from the Agency. Lee had left her to handle Agency business without him while trusting her instincts. Now, she found herself unsure of how to deal with the situation she found herself confronted with. Perhaps if she had been able to complete more of the training cassettes that Mr. Melrose had given to her, they would have provided a protocol to allow her to make a sound decision. However, she highly doubted that this particular situation would have been addressed. On one hand, Angelo seeing Eva didn't seem like a major concern. If Amanda called Lee, he would probably tell her that Angelo just needed to get things off his chest. He was at a secured location so it wasn't like the woman could escape. However, on the other hand, Amanda continued to reason, it might be important that Lee know that Angelo visited her. Amanda wished she knew what to do. She wanted to do this assignment right so she could prove to Lee that she was a good partner whom he could rely on.

As she continued to wait for Angelo and Francesca to return to the waiting room, she ran different scenarios through her mind. In one she pictured Lee giving her a hard time because he was busy and she was bothering him with this trivial matter. "I don't know Amanda," she could hear him saying. "I gave you one simple thing to do. All you had to do was to keep an eye on Angelo. I don't need you to call me every five minutes with updates on his whereabouts." She inwardly winced at the scolding tone she knew he would use. In another scenario, he would erupt and say, "Damn it Amanda! Why didn't you call me? You know how manipulative Eva is. She probably has him convinced to help her escape tonight and return to Russia with her."

The vision of Lee being disappointed with her once again, helped her decide. She made up her mind. She would call Lee. She dug through her purse and finally found some change for the pay phone. As she made her way to the pay phones in the corner, the door suddenly opened. As Angelo emerged from the room, his eyes met Amanda's. He realized that she was going to make a call. He couldn't help but notice the 'guilty' look that she was giving him as he searched her face for clues on what she was thinking.

"Is everything okay Amanda?" Angelo asked.

"Oh, yes, everything is fine now," Amanda confirmed. "I was just going to call home because I can't remember if I shut the coffee pot off or not." It was a lie and Amanda knew that Angelo knew that she was lying. She was relieved when he let it drop.

"I think I would like to go home now if you don't mind," Angelo stated while ignoring her comment.

**TBC**.


	53. Chapter 53 - Mrs Dunlap

**Chapter 53 – Mrs. Dunlap**

"I don't know what to think of the couple that moved into the neighborhood. Have any of you talked to them?" Mrs. Dunlap asked as she sat crocheting at Molly Kraft's kitchen table. The women in the neighborhood met twice a week to gossip while they knitted or crocheted.

"I heard through the grapevine that they are spies and were snuck in here from another country to keep an eye on things?" Betsy Gallagher theorized while lowering her voice like someone was outside listening.

"Oh come now, who would send a spy to this neighborhood?" Mrs. Dunlap scolded Betsy. "It isn't like anything exciting ever happens here."

"Well I just think it is odd that there are two men and two women over there. I have not seen all four of them together so I don't even know which ones are really even our neighbors. Does anyone else know?" Mrs. Spencer asked as she furrowed her brow. She took another sip of her coffee and then went back to knitting the blue and white sweater that she was making for her grandson.

"The day I tried to welcome them to the neighborhood, I met the woman in the station wagon. I don't think she told me her name, but she said their last name was Kelly. I was excited thinking we had some Irish neighbors, but she insisted that they are Italians. Well right away, I knew there was something suspicious about that. When have you ever heard of such nonsense? How in the world did an Italian end up with a last name of Kelly? Anyway, the lady told me that she was a second cousin. She invited me inside, but when she opened the door, I saw a man standing there with a woman. The woman appeared to be Italian but the man did not. I'm not quite sure what we interrupted, but the place was a mess. I saw a lamp smashed and pillows all over the place. They both looked like they were hurrying to get dressed. If I didn't know any better, I would think that these two just had a little fling. I don't think the man was Mr. Kelly at all. I did see another man the day before enter the house and he did look Italian. Who knows what kind of tryst we have going on right under noses!" Mrs. Dunlap asserted.

Irene Jones had been quietly listening as they discussed the new neighbors, but she suddenly decided she needed to add in what she had seen.

"I have seen Mr. Kelly. He was outside for only a moment, but I said hi to him. It was the first day that he moved in. He seemed very sad too. I yelled out a greeting to him and introduced myself. He seemed a little nervous, but said that I could call him Angelo. A drycleaner got out of his van with a load of laundry for him so he went back inside with the clothes. The weird part is that I noticed that I ended up with a credit card application in my mailbox for him just today," Irene informed them.

"What is so weird about that?" Mrs. Dunlap asked. "You know Ol' Harold delivers the mail to the wrong boxes all the time."

"I know, but this mail was addressed to Richard Kelly not Angelo Kelly. So I started thinking about it. What if this man is part of a witness protection program?" Irene explained her theory.

Mrs. Dunlap started chuckling and said,"Irene, I think you watch too many soap operas."

"No, think about it Janice. Like you said, what Italian is named Kelly? This second cousin of his seems to show up all hours of the day. That dry-cleaning truck was here for a few days and then suddenly was replaced by a tv repair truck. The other man who is hanging around drives a silver sports car. Then just today, I saw this Kelly guy walk out with his cousin and another beautiful lady. They all got into the station wagon and have been gone for a few hours now." Irene continued to explain why she knew she was right.

Betsy had sat listening and suddenly blurted out, "Of course, it makes sense now! There are now three women over there that we know of. He's running a brothel!"

"What? Betsy! A brothel in our neighborhood? That's just crazy talk!" Janice Dunlap scoffed at the notion.

Molly began nodding her head and agreed, "I think you might be right Betsy. Who would suspect such a thing here? We have a nice, peaceful neighborhood. That man with the silver car might be one of their best customers."

"That man with the silver car is too good looking and shouldn't need to buy the affections of a lady!" said Irene siding with Janice.

Janice shot Irene a look of astonishment. Realizing that everyone was now looking at her, Irene defended herself as she pointed one of her knitting needles at the group. "Look, I might be old, but I'm not blind and I'm not dead. That is one gorgeous man. Are any of you going to deny it?"

The other ladies laughed at her comments while agreeing that the man was a nice looking fellow. Satisfied that she had proven her point, Irene went back to knitting.

"Besides, the other morning when I interrupted them, I noticed that he was wearing a gun. Why would he need a gun if he was at a brothel? Why would they allow him to even have a gun?" Janice argued.

"Why didn't you tell us that he had a gun?" Betsy complained. "That definitely changes everything."

"What does it mean though?" Janice asked.

"I have no idea but I'm going to keep an eye on that house. Something strange is going with them and it is up to us ladies to put a stop to it!" Betsy said decisively.

"Agreed," the rest of them chorused.

**TBC**.


	54. Chapter 54 - Regrets

**Chapter 54 – Regrets**

It was a tiny 6x8 room that featured gray, bare cement walls and floor. There were bunk beds against one wall and a toilet in the corner. The rest of the room was open space and so cold looking. The guard had escorted her back to her cell and Eva wrapped her arms around herself as she sank down onto the bottom bunk bed. She was thankful that she was considered too dangerous to have a roommate so at least she could wallow in her own self-pity without anyone irritating her.

As she sat there staring at the floor, Eva found herself struggling with emotions she didn't even know she could still feel. She had been trained by one of the best KGB agents which meant that she had been programmed not to allow herself to feel anything for anyone. On top of that, he just happened to be her father. Now, she found herself struggling to adhere to that training. As much as she tried to deny it, she couldn't help but feel a little guilty about how things had turned out. She didn't have a lot of choices though. There was so much at stake. She had convinced herself to not to allow her emotions to get into the way. Some days were easier than others though.

It seemed like only yesterday when her superiors had instructed her to fly to Italy. Her assignment was to meet a man named Angelo and convince him to travel back to Russia with her so he could share his knowledge of ESP with them. It should have been such an easy task. She knew that most men found her beautiful and usually they would do anything to please her. She had been so certain that this would be an easy assignment, and she would soon be back home. In her mind, she believed that she would be rewarded well for completing the mission so quickly. Maybe she would even finally gain her freedom and her life back.

All those visions quickly crumbled after she met Angelo. He wasn't like any man she had ever known. At first, her plan went perfectly. When she first arrived in Italy, she had made her way to the University. She had enough information to know where he spent his time there. It hadn't been hard to rush around the hallway corner at just the right moment and smack into him. The impact slammed them both to the floor with her landing on top of him. She couldn't apologize enough for knocking him over and asked him if there was anything she could do to help him. He suggested that getting off from him would be a good start. She jumped up while acting embarrassed and then began apologizing again. He pointed out that they were both unharmed and then he started to continue on his way. As soon as she realized she was losing him, she began a loud wailing cry. It worked perfectly since he immediately stopped and asked her what was wrong. She explained that she had applied for a position at the University. She had just found out that she didn't get the job and that was why she hadn't been paying attention to where she was going when she smacked into him. She whined as she told him how desperately she needed a job, but no one seemed to want to hire her. He asked her if she could type. In between sobs, she managed to confirm that she was a good typist and could do shorthand too. Angelo told her that he could use a research assistant if she was interested. Eva had been staring at the floor while she put on her act, but now she looked up at him in amazement. She couldn't believe how easily he had fallen for her performance. She never expected him to offer her a job that quickly. Her plan had worked perfectly.

She soon realized that the rest of the plan would take much more work and so much more time. His first love was science and he seemed reluctant to cheat on that by spending time with her. After dropping hints for days that she would love to go out with him, she finally gave up and asked him out for a cup of coffee. After that, they began to go out on dinner dates. He would listen to her babble on about her day while he seemed to always have a far away look in his eyes. She knew he almost never gave his full attention to her. Sometimes she would convince him to talk about his work and he would immediately become very animated. He never told her anything that the KGB would be interested in though, so she could only sit and pretend to be interested while trying not to fall asleep.

Then one day, as she was alone in Angelo's office, this very tall, handsome man entered her world. He was the complete opposite of Angelo in every way from their looks to their personalities. While Angelo was a stuffy intellectual, Lee was adventurous, spontaneous and fun. Right away, she could feel a spark that she had never felt when she was with Angelo. She didn't originally plan on getting involved with Lee. After all, it was important that she finish her assignment quickly so she could prove her loyalty and earn herself a chance for a new life. There was so much more at stake and she didn't have time for another man in her life.

Lee was persistent though. He had insisted that she go out to dinner with him and she found it hard to say no even though she had just met him. He made her laugh while creating an electric atmosphere around him. When she mentioned him to one of her superiors later, she found out his true identity. Her heart sank knowing he was on the opposite side. After a short debate, the KGB decided that she was in a perfect position to keep an eye on this hot shot spy. So, they ordered her to start spending time with him. She had reluctantly agreed since she knew she didn't have a choice. She hoped that it might ultimately make Angelo jealous which would speed things up and allow her to return to her home. The plan backfired though because nothing seemed to concern Angelo. His work always came first while everything else was secondary, including her. In the meantime, Eva found herself falling in love with Lee.

She had never met anyone like Lee before. He was charming, spontaneous, undisciplined and so full of life. He made her time in Italy so much fun. As much as she wished things could be different, she had to keep reminding herself that she was only there to complete this assignment. Lee just happened to be an ill timed distraction. The longer this assignment took, the harder it would be for her to plead her case to the KGB and to her father. So she began pushing Angelo for marriage. She knew that Angelo was an honorable man. If she could convince him to marry her, she would have better leverage at getting him to agree to go to Moscow with her.

Soon, marriage became a topic that came up daily. By that time, Eva had told Angelo about Lee in hopes that he would feel threatened that Lee might whisk her away from him. She even told Angelo what Lee did for a living. Angelo's only response was that he didn't want to hear anything more about Lee. Eva knew that she needed to change tactics after that. She simply would pretend to be too busy for their normal dates. She also began acting like working for him was just a job and that she no longer had a personal interest in him. Slowly as the days went by, she could see that she was wearing Angelo down. The days seemed to drag on though without a marriage proposal and she was beginning to feel desperate as the KGB was losing their patience with her. They had expected results and she was failing miserably. She knew that her father would be informed of this failure. She also knew that the KGB would consider it to be his failure too. That made the situation even more direr.

After weeks of having no success, Eva had decided that she would need to give up on the idea of marrying Angelo. She would simply have to find another way to convince him to move to Russia. It would be harder to control him without being married to him, but she had no other choice. So it came as a huge surprise the day Angelo pulled out a ring and proposed to her. As her heart beat wildly, she shouted yes. She would marry him as she rushed to embrace him and kiss him passionately. Angelo kissed her back while hugging her tightly to him. After a few minutes, he gently pushed her away and suggested that they get married right away. She told him that she would begin planning the marriage immediately. He confessed that he had loved her for a long time, but was afraid. She assured him that she would take care of him and that she would be the best wife ever. He nodded in agreement and then went back to his desk to continue studying the documents in front of him.

Eva was too excited that he had proposed to allow herself to dwell on how he had dismissed her that day. He hadn't even taken time to put the ring on her finger. It just didn't matter at that moment though because her dreams were finally coming true. Then she remembered that she had told Lee that she would meet him at the café for brunch. She hurried to the café and rushed in all out of breath. Lee stood up with a questioning look on his face, but before he could say anything, she held up her finger so he could see the ring and blurted out the big announcement. The deflated look on his face told the story of how he really felt about her. If only things could have been different. If only they could have been on the same side. Later she found out that he had taken a flight back to the states the next day. It was for the best as she still had so much work to do. After all, she still needed to convince Angelo to go to work for the Russians and she knew that he would fight her every step of the way.

As she suspected, Angelo didn't want to leave Italy to move to Russia. His family was in Italy and he didn't want to leave them. Eva had done everything she could to keep Angelo away from his family over the past few months. She knew his brother would have a huge influence on him. In the end, she was able to cause Angelo and Frankie to fight about everything. When Frankie began trying to tell Angelo how to live his life, it caused him to stubbornly decide to take the Russians' offer just to spite his brother. Once there, he began refusing to cooperate with the Russians. He didn't want to share his ESP theories with them beyond the basic teachings that he had conducted at the university. Eva begged him to reconsider. If Angelo would give the Russians what they wanted, they would pay him well. Then they could have the life and family that she had told him about in her dreams. Angelo ignored her and complained miserably about how the Russians treated him. He also was not happy with the evil plans they had for his research. Once again, Eva saw all her hard work unraveling. Angelo became more stubborn and determined than ever about refusing to share his knowledge with the Russians. He had become very vocal against the Russians. To save their reputation, they silenced him by sending him to jail. When that didn't change his mind, they pretended to torture and kill Eva.

When the KGB realized that Angelo had escaped from their prison and was heading for the United States, they demanded that Eva follow him. She knew it was her only chance to regain the opportunity that she had lost when Angelo refused to cooperate. She also realized that it was unlikely for her to be able to avoid Lee. She was certain though that any feelings she had for him were long gone. She soon found out that she was wrong. As soon as he opened that door and their eyes connected, all the memories of the time spent with this man resurfaced. She still loved him. She tried to convince herself that it wasn't true. It was just her mind making her think she still loved him. She began making excuses to herself why she thought she still had such intense feelings for him. Maybe it was because he was pushing her away from him so hard or maybe it was because there seemed to be something going on between him and Amanda or maybe she just missed him. Regardless of the reason, she found it hard to look at him and not want him still. That night when he interrupted her call to the KGB, she had convinced him to go to the living room to talk. As she faced her former lover, she realized that she would have given anything for him to swoop her up into his arms and make love to her all night like he had done in Venice. She pleaded with him to tell her how he really felt. The heat of the moment was so intense and she found herself wrapped in his arms as he kissed her passionately. In the end, he had been the voice of reason, the one who had put the brakes on as he pushed her away. Being a man of honor, he would not betray Angelo who was asleep in the other room or jeopardize his job by having an affair with a married woman. Instead, he had agreed to talk while they sat at opposite ends of the couch. Listening to him made her regret leading him on. She had known that she couldn't have a life with him back then, but he had made her feel so much more alive than Angelo ever did. She couldn't continue to dwell on it though. It was her assignment. It was her own stupidity that she had ever allowed herself to fall in love with Lee.

She shuddered as she thought about trying to kill him at the used car lot. She hadn't wanted to hurt him. It was the last thing she would have ever done, but he kept trying to use her memories against her. Lee was sure that he could use her emotions to stop her from fulfilling her assignment. He left her no choice, but to try to stop him. There was so much more at stake. She didn't want to kill him, but she needed to show the KGB where her loyalty was. If word got back that she had helped Lee stop the agents, she would have no chance of ever being safe. She knew first hand how dangerous this game was and just how much was at stake. Unfortunately, she realized too late that Amanda must have removed the bullets from the gun. The anger on Lee's face as he realized that she really tried to shoot him would haunt her for the rest of her life. If only he knew the truth, maybe he would have understood. Maybe, he could have even helped her. No, no one could help her. She had stumbled into this deep, dark hole on her own and she alone would have to find a way out.

The surprises never ended though. She had no idea that Angelo would come to the jail to see her just now. She certainly didn't expect him to bring his niece. Maybe she should have told him what he wanted to know. She just couldn't though. Angelo was a good man and he didn't deserve anything that had happened to him in the past two years. If he insisted on finding out the truth about his brother, he could get killed. Eva could only hope that by refusing to help him, he would give up. His niece worried Eva. She had a feistiness that her uncle lacked. Eva was sure that Francesca would be persistent in her determination to find out what happened to her father. Watching Angelo and observing the true sadness that showed in his face and his body language, Eva fought the feelings of regret and guilt that threatened to surface. Her operative training had taught her not to have those emotions, but deep down, she was a woman. As a woman, she couldn't help but regret that Angelo had suffered so much because of her. It was only because of her weakness to fight against the KGB and her father that Angelo continued to endure such sadness. Maybe she should tell him what he wanted to know. Maybe it was the least she could do after all she put him through. If he were to be killed though, would she ever forgive herself? If she did tell him and the KGB found out, would she have any chance of ever seeing her child again? She laid down on the bed in a fetal position. No matter which path she took, it seemed that she would continue to have regrets.

**TBC**


	55. Chapter 55 - Enlisting Help

**Chapter 55 – Enlisting Help**

The ride home was quiet. Everyone seemed lost in their own thoughts. As Amanda pulled up to the curb in front of Angelo's house, she asked, "Do you need me for anything more today? I should probably be getting home to my family."

"Amanda? Can we talk?" Angelo inquired.

"Ok? About what?" Amanda asked while pretending to be unconcerned with the events of the day. She turned off the ignition and after letting out a sigh, she turned around to face him. He had graciously let Francesca have the front seat and was sitting directly behind her. Amanda couldn't help but notice that Francesca seemed concerned about whatever her uncle wanted to talk about and turned around to hear what he had to say too.

"Amanda, you are a very special woman," Angelo began. "I can't tell you how much all your help has meant to me."

"This sounds like you are saying goodbye," Amanda interrupted him.

"Amanda, things could get dangerous. I don't want you to be in harm's way," Angelo continued to tread lightly to see her reaction.

"Dangerous? What are you talking about Angelo? What exactly did you talk to Eva about?" Amanda demanded.

"Eva is a very deceptive woman. She knows things that she is not sharing with me. Amanda, I fear that the KGB is not done with me. I do not wish to put you at risk also," Angelo stated.

"Angelo, that is why you should not be sneaking past the Agency's guards. Promise me that you won't do that anymore. You need…" Amanda continued lecturing him, but was suddenly interrupted by Angelo.

"I need your help. If you are willing to help me, that is," Angelo continued. "Amanda, there are things that you do not know. Someone close to me was killed while I was in Russia. I think I'm to blame for his death. I need to find out who did it and why. I need to make that person pay for what he or she has done!" Angelo exclaimed.

"Oh my gosh, we need to tell Lee. Let's go call him," Amanda declared as she started to open her car door.

"NO!" Angelo said loudly. Amanda hesitated as she saw a flash of anger in Angelo's eyes. "No! Lee knew about this and chose not to tell me. Don't you see Amanda? It doesn't matter which side you are on, you must obey the orders of your superiors. Lee and his boss don't really care about me personally; they just care about obtaining my knowledge. He has done nothing but keep me a prisoner since I have been in this country. It is no different than being in Russia other than there are no bars on the windows in this house."

"Oh, Angelo, I think you have Lee all wrong. He has done everything he could to keep you safe. You know those bad guys still want you. It is for your own protection that he has posted guards and tried to limit where you go. It won't be like this forever though. Besides, I don't think he realizes that this person was a friend of yours. Even if he knew about the death, how would he know that the person meant anything to you? Surely he would have told you if he had known. Let's call and ask him. I'm sure we can get this all straightened out?" Amanda begged.

"You are very blind to anything but the good in others, Amanda," Angelo observed. "I know that you have worked with him for awhile now. I would guess that it is hard for you to imagine him ever doing anything wrong. Perhaps, I should tell you the truth?"

"Uncle Angelo!" Francesca warned.

"No, no, I think she needs to hear it," Angelo asserted and continued on while ignoring his niece's warning. "Amanda, you are such a sweet woman. I really hate to change that about you, but there comes a time when you need to stop being so naïve. You see, there is no way that Lee could have any doubts that this person was close to me because…"

"Uncle Angelo, don't!" Francesca tried one more time.

"Frankie was my brother." Angelo finished his sentence.

Amanda stared at Angelo in disbelief. Could Lee have known that Angelo's brother had been murdered and not told Angelo? How was that possible? The Lee she knew wouldn't do that, or would he? It felt like she had been punched in the stomach and suddenly lost her ability to breathe as she searched for a reason in her mind as to why Lee would keep this from Angelo. Was it Billy's idea? Someone over Billy? How long had they known and how could they be so heartless as to not tell Angelo?

Angelo watched Amanda's face as her mind raced through her thoughts. Finally, he asked quietly, "Will you help me?"

"What do you want me to do?" Amanda reluctantly answered.

**TBC**


	56. Chapter 56 - Where to Look

**Chapter 56 – Where to Look**

Angelo had breathed a sigh of relief when Amanda agreed to help them. They realized that talking in the open wasn't the smartest plan so they all quickly exited the car and went inside the house. Amanda walked to the kitchen and began making a pot of coffee while Angelo and Francesca followed her. She needed desperately to keep busy as her mind raced over what she had just learned. How could Lee keep something so important from Angelo?

Amanda was brought back to the present as Angelo broke the silence. He explained that they didn't have much to go on. Since the damage was already done, Francesca decided that she might as well share what she knew with Amanda. She filled her in on what she had learned from her father's friend Sam and later from John Riley. Amanda listened intently to Francesca, but couldn't help feeling more overwhelmed by the moment at what she was getting involved in.

"So, you don't know where to find Tina?" Amanda asked when Francesca finished.

"No, we just know that she might live somewhere in D.C.," Francesca admitted while not even trying to mask the frustration in her voice that she felt.

"Well that's a lot of area to cover. It is like finding a needle in a haystack," Amanda's voice cracked as she realized how small the odds were for them to find Tina.

Angelo had stood with his arms crossed against his chest while his niece shared her knowledge. Hearing Amanda's defeated tone made him sigh. After a moment, he said softly, "We know. Amanda, but we were hoping that you may have connections in the Agency besides Lee. Do you have any way to research on their computers?"

"Oh, Angelo, I'm not even a full time employee. I just help out now and then with typing and filing and misc things. I don't even have any kind of security level." Amanda confessed. "I really don't think I'm going to be any help to you at all. I'm sorry"

"Damn, I was afraid of that. Well we could still use your help transporting us around. I want to go check out some of the bars and night clubs to see if anyone recognizes my brother," Angelo suggested.

"Uncle Angelo, do you think that is wise? I'm sure going to places like that will be dangerous for all of us," Francesca said with worry in her voice.

Angelo strode quickly to his niece and drew her into his arms to comfort her. "I know Micino. We have to start somewhere. Look, why don't you stay here? Amanda can drive me and I will go looking by myself while she remains in the car in case I get into any trouble. Amanda would be able to still involve Lee and the Agency at that time."

"NO! I will not let you go alone. We will do this together!" Francesca insisted as she pushed herself out of Angelo's embrace. Amanda observed how much the two of them seemed to really care about each other. She knew that the death of Frankie must be devastating to both of them. She watched as they both tried to stare each other down and was relieved when they failed and admitted defeat.

"Okay, we stay together!" Angelo relented.

"Thank you Uncle Angelo. How soon can we get started?" Francesca asked.

"Why don't I go home and spend a few hours with my family. Then I'll meet you back here around 7pm. If we are going to find someone who recognizes him, they likely will be a regular so they will be there later in the evening," Amanda suggested.

"I agree," Angelo acknowledged as he walked Amanda to the front door and watched her walk to her car.

As Amanda drove away, she briefly waved to Angelo who was still standing in the doorway.

Neither of them noticed Mrs. Dunlap who was staring at them as she pruned one of the shrubs in her yard.

**TBC**


	57. Chapter 57 - Excuses

**Chapter 57 – Excuses**

Amanda's mind was racing as she headed back to Arlington. She knew she should call Lee. Everything she had learned so far at the Agency told her logically that she needed to call Lee. Before she stumbled into this spy world though, she was a mother. She had a great family complete with two wonderful boys and her mother who always supported her the best that she could. Amanda couldn't help but put herself in Angelo's shoes. What if at some point, she got involved in a case that involved someone who hurt or killed her mother? What if she was away on assignment with Lee at the time and the Agency chose not to tell her? No matter how much Amanda tried to come up with a good reason, she just couldn't excuse someone making the choice to keep something that painful hidden from a loved one. In fact, it seemed extremely cruel that Angelo was not told about his brother. Was Angelo right when he said that the Americans were no better than the Russians? Was it possible that everything they did was all for the greed of obtaining Angelo's knowledge? If that was true, Amanda needed to decide if she could continue working there. She really needed to talk to Lee. She just wasn't sure she could handle her emotions if Angelo was telling her the truth. In the end, she realized that it was best if she didn't confront Lee yet. She decided that she would take Angelo and Francesca out tonight and see how things went. If there was any sign of trouble, she could still call Lee. She just wished that she could convince herself that Lee truly didn't know anything about any of this.

After arriving home, Amanda immersed herself into making spaghetti and meatballs for dinner. Her mother noticed that she barely said anything as she entered their home. Dotty sat watching her prepare dinner while peering over the magazine she had been reading. Amanda seemed agitated and upset. "Dear, are you okay?" she asked finally.

"I'm fine Mother. Why do you ask?" Amanda inquired without stopping to even look at her.

"Darling, you just seem upset. Did you and Dean have a fight?" Dotty asked.

"No, Mother. I haven't spoken to Dean all week because he is in California at one of his educational meteorology seminars," Amanda reminded her mother.

"Oh, that's right. Well, did something happen with one of your clients today?" Dotty persisted.

"Clients?" Amanda asked without thinking. She quickly tried to cover up her mistake. "Oh, yeah, I think Lucille ate something she shouldn't have from the trash."

"Lucille? Someone named their dog Lucille?" Dotty mused.

"No, actually it is a pot bellied pig, Mother." Amanda said in hopes of distracting her mother from the original conversation.

"A what? Amanda, are you telling me you are babysitting a pig?" Dotty asked in exasperation.

"She's really cute Mother. I bet the boys would love to have one. She walks on a leash and even does tricks," Amanda said in a mischievous voice.

"Amanda! I am not sharing my home with a pig! What would the neighbors say? Besides, I'm sure we are not zoned for farm animals!" Dotty sputtered.

Amanda chuckled and said, "I don't intend to bring home a pig. Mother? Do you mind watching the boys tonight? I am worried about Lucille. I think I should stay with her for a few hours after dinner just to make sure she's okay."

Dotty shook her head as she said, "Amanda darling, I don't know how you do it. I just hope that Lucille's owners appreciate that you are spending all this extra time with her. Of course I will watch the boys. Their homework is all done and I checked it already. I'm sure we can find a movie to watch before they go to bed."

"Thank you Mother. Dinner is ready. I'll go call them down," Amanda said.

After dinner, Dotty insisted on doing the dishes so Amanda could get back to her pig. Amanda thanked her as she kissed her on the cheek and promised to be home in a few hours. She didn't know if she would ever get used to lying to her mother.

**TBC**


	58. Chapter 58 - A Night on the Town

**Chapter 58 – A Night on the Town**

Amanda had packed a bag of clothes for the evening. She hid the bag in the station wagon just before she served dinner to her family. After she arrived at Angelo's house, she used his bathroom to dress more appropriately for a night out. This proved to be much easier than trying to come up with an excuse for her mother as to why she needed to dress up in order to go babysit a pig.

As she emerged from the bathroom, she observed that Angelo and Francesca had already changed and were now talking quietly in the kitchen. When Angelo saw that Amanda had entered the room, he suggested, "Why don't we sit down and talk for a few minutes?" His hand gestured to the kitchen chairs.

They all took a seat as Angelo passed a sheet of paper to Amanda. It listed several night clubs and bars in the D.C. area. "Angelo, do you realize that these locations are not considered the nicer parts of this city?" Amanda asked as she studied the list.

Angelo had been waiting for Amanda's reaction. He softly responded, "Sadly, I don't think my brother would go to a 'nice' bar. Considering what we do know about him during that time, I think he would have gone where he was sure no one would know him."

Amanda sighed as she realized that Angelo was probably right. "Okay, well, let's get started." Amanda said as she began to rise from the table.

"Wait! There's one more thing." Angelo said halting Amanda's departure from the kitchen. "I think it would be odd for all three of us to go into these places. I think it would be best if you stayed in the car in case we need to get away quickly," Angelo gently suggested.

"Now you just wait a minute Angelo! There is safety in numbers and I don't think it is a good idea for us to split up. I agreed to help you, but this time I get to set the rules. We all go in together or not at all, okay?" Amanda demanded while leaving no doubt that this was not up for discussion.

Angelo realized that Amanda had no intentions of backing down this time. Reluctantly he nodded his head in agreement. Amanda smiled in hopes of showing that there were no hard feelings. Then she suggested again that they should head out as the time was quickly passing.

As she drove them to the first destination on the list, she grimaced as she realized just how seedy of a section of town they were entering. Amanda couldn't help but feel unsettled at seeing the prostitutes yelling out for business on the street corners.

"Are you sure you want to go to this bar?" Amanda asked hoping Angelo had changed his mind now that he saw the area.

"We have to," Angelo said reluctantly. He wasn't thrilled with what he was witnessing either. The streets were full of garbage and smelled really bad. As Amanda pulled her car next to the curb near the bar, Angelo noticed that there was a couple entering the bar. The woman was wearing tight jeans and a low cut blouse while the guy had on a cowboy hat and had a gun holster buckled around his waist.

"Let's go!" Angelo said bravely before he lost his nerve. As they walked along the street, Angelo walked in between the two ladies. They linked their arms with Angelo's and walked as a threesome to the front entrance of the bar.

At the front door, a huge man kept guard. He had a dangling earring cross hanging off one ear while his body was adorned with tattoos.

"What do you want?" he growled as he glared at the threesome.

"Just to wet our thirst," Angelo answered.

"Yeah, well go do it somewhere else," the guard ordered as he put his hand onto the gun that was in the holster that he wore around his waist.

"I don't understand," Angelo said quietly. "I didn't realize this was a private club."

"It's not, but we don't allow the competition inside either," the guard said as he continued to glare at Angelo.

"Competition? What kind of competition?" Angelo responded more confused than ever.

"Don't play dumb with me. I can see you plan to set your girls up with some of our customers. We don't allow that here. Go find someplace else to make your money. The boss doesn't take kindly to other girls taking away his ladies good paying customers," the guard roared out his explanation.

All three of them realized at once what the guard was thinking. He had decided that Angelo planned to snag some of the bar's regulars to pimp out his two ladies. Amanda was in shock that anyone would think that of them. She had dressed conservatively and so had Francesca. Obviously it did look strange for all three of them to be together. Maybe she should have listened to Angelo and agreed to stay in the car.

"Sir, I know you probably won't believe us, but what you are thinking is certainly not true," Amanda began trying to explain. "We actually came here looking for someone. Are you usually the one who takes care of this club?"

"What's it to you, lady?" the guard turned his attention to Amanda with a scowl.

Angelo pulled out Frankie's picture and handed it to the guard. "Do you recognize him?" he asked as the three of them looked for signs of recognition.

The guard took a good look at the picture. He was either a good actor or he truly had never seen Frankie before in his life. "Nope, never seen him. Now clear out of here before someone gets hurt," the guard said as he crossed his arms and glared down at them from the top step.

As much as they had hoped to ask people inside the bar, they realized that it was best to cut their losses and leave. They forced themselves to walk at a normal pace back to the car even though all three of their hearts were beating wildly.

After they were safely back in the car, Amanda exclaimed, "Oh my gosh! Angelo? Are you sure you want to continue this?"

"Yes, but we definitely cannot all go in. Agree?" Angelo stated.

"Agree!" Amanda said reluctantly.

"Well I don't" Francesca said defiantly. She had been remarkably quiet during the entire scene that had just unfolded. "We just have to be smarter now that we have a feel for how these places work."

"Micino? What are you thinking?" Angelo asked nervously.

"I think that you and Amanda need to go in as a couple from now on. After a few minutes, I will go in by myself. Angelo, I have experience dealing with rough types like this. It isn't like I didn't have plenty of practice in Sri Lanka," Francesca insisted.

"You had Ehsan and his reputation there," Angelo reminded her.

"True, but I can take care of myself. Let's at least go try another club, okay?" Francesca pleaded with him for a chance.

Angelo reluctantly agreed. Amanda started the car and they drove several blocks to the next location Angelo had picked.

Angelo and Amanda walked in together with no problem. After taking a seat at the bar, they both asked for a beer. When the bartender set the steins in front of them, Angelo showed him the picture of Frankie and asked him if he knew him.

"That's Howard. I haven't seen him for a few months. Everyone has been asking about him," the bartender said in an excited voice. "Hey Rhonda, come here."

A slim, red haired lady who was dressed in a cocktail dress approached them. The bartender pointed to Frankie's picture and asked "Who's that?"

"You know who that is!" Rhonda exclaimed as she snapped the gum she was chewing. "That's Howard. Where is he? It has been months since he has shown that ugly mug of his around here." She and the bartender began glaring at Angelo and Amanda like they had done something to him.

Amanda realized that they hadn't discussed any kind of cover story if anyone recognized Frankie or why they were searching for him in the first place. She jumped in before Angelo could mess things up.

"He's an old boyfriend of mine. He still owes me money, a lot of money. I'm trying to find him to make him pay," she explained. "Do you know where he might be staying?" she asked while hoping they would tell her where he used to stay when he visited.

"Old boyfriend?" Rhonda asked as she began to chuckle. "Lady, you don't pick very good boyfriends do you?"

Amanda realized that she was completely out of her element as she struggled to continue playing this role.

"I don't understand? He was a good man at one time. Then suddenly he began to change," Amanda tried to bluff by using what little knowledge they had of him.

"That's probably when he met psycho woman," Rhonda surmised as she and the bartender exchanged knowing looks.

"Psycho woman?" Angelo asked.

"Yeah, now what _was_ her name?" Rhonda asked the bartender as she tried to recall it herself.

"Tammy, no Theresa, no. That's not it either." The bartender said as he tried to remember too.

"Tina, her name was Tina!" Rhonda exclaimed excitedly as she remembered. "Yes, Tina, that's it!"

Angelo and Amanda exchanged looks. They finally had their first real lead in all of this. That was when they both realized that they hadn't seen Francesca since they left the car.

**TBC**


	59. Chapter 59 - Tina

**Chapter 59 – Tina**

Amanda could read the panic in Angelo's eyes as they both quickly began looking around the club for Francesca. Since it was a small crowd that night, they should have been able to easily spot her. Amanda grabbed Angelo's hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. She needed him to keep his focus for a few more minutes so they could find out what Rhonda and the bartender knew about Tina.

Amanda looked at them and questioned, "Tina?"

"Yeah, that was her name. You didn't know your boyfriend was cheating on you, huh?" Rhonda asked sarcastically.

"Rhonda! Be nice. You know that Howard seemed very uncomfortable when Tina was around. Look lady, we knew that there was more to Howard's story when he showed up here a couple of years ago. He said he was happily married and lived in Italy. We also knew that Howard was not his real name. No one goes by real names in places like this. After we found out he was big into sports, we just started calling him Howard after the famous sportscaster. The name just seemed to fit. He always seemed to be searching for something when he would come to visit. Then one day, he arrived after being gone for a few months. He didn't seem himself. He finally confessed to Rhonda that his wife had died."

"Yeah, I tried to comfort him but he was pretty torn apart over it. He stayed in the states for nearly a month before leaving for awhile. He seemed really depressed when he showed back up a few months later. One night, as he was slamming down whiskey sours, a woman entered the bar. I hadn't ever seen her before. The next thing I knew, she was hitting on him. I think he was pretty lonely at that point so it didn't take much for her to convince him to go home with her. She stuck to him like glue after that. I felt really bad for him, but he said she was harmless. I'm not sure when he would have had time to date you since she kept track of his every move. I think he expected her to go find another guy once he went back to Italy. It didn't work that way though. When I last saw him a few months ago, he told me that she kept track of him even when he was in Italy. He had gotten scared and had decided to come back to see if he could convince her to leave him alone. He told me that she was a really psycho type person and that he was beginning to feel threatened. When she showed up that last night at the bar, she insisted that they go some place more private to talk. I secretly had wished he would have stayed here, but he agreed to go with her. We never saw him again after that night," Rhonda finished relating her story.

"Do you think this Tina hurt him?" Angelo asked as he tried to choke back his tears.

"I think it is possible," Rhonda said sadly.

"Where can we find her?" Amanda asked.

"I'm getting the feeling that this isn't about an old boyfriend who owes you money," the bartender surmised.

Angelo and Amanda exchanged glances again. Angelo then lowered his voice so that no one else would hear him. "He was my brother. Someone killed him. There is a good chance that Tina knows who that was. At this point, I'm beginning to believe that Tina might have done it herself," Angelo proclaimed.

The bartender let out a low whistle and said, "I'm so sorry man. I had no idea, but I can see the resemblance now. You almost had us fooled with that story."

Amanda knew they needed to move this along so they could go find Francesca. She asked again, "Do you know where we might find Tina?"

Rhonda shook her head and said, "We haven't seen her since the night Howard disappeared. I'm sorry. He was a good man. I really enjoyed talking to him the past couple of years. He was always a gentleman with me and I really doubt that he ever cheated on his wife. He was so much in love with her."

Amanda's heart dropped at the knowledge that their lead just turned stone cold. She knew that Angelo would appreciate knowing that his brother would have stayed faithful to his wife though.

"Well we better go. We have a friend waiting for us outside," Amanda said as she grasped Angelo's hand more firmly to convince him to come with her. They thanked both Rhonda and the bartender again for the information and then hurried outside. As they left the building, they both began frantically looking around for Francesca. There was no sign of her. Where in the world could she be?

**TBC**


	60. Chapter 60 - No Girls Wanted

**Chapter 60 – No Girls Wanted**

There were days, like today, when she really missed her mother. She had known her for such a short period of time in her life, but she still cherished such wonderful memories of her mother and how she always made her feel loved. Her father, on the other hand, always stirred up feelings of feeling unwanted and being scared. Her mother had always tried her best to protect her daughter from this man while leaving herself open to his verbal and physical cruelty.

When they were alone, her mother would talk to her for hours. She always treated her daughter as if she was a young adult. Her mother would use the time to comb her daughter's long, wavy, black hair and try to warn her to avoid her father as much as possible. It was always best that she stay out of his sight when he was around since the mere fact that she was a girl would set him off. Her mother made it her mission in life to prepare her daughter in case something ever happened to her. It was so important that her daughter have the knowledge she needed to survive. One of the things she made sure that her beautiful daughter knew was the history of her parents, how they got together and how she came to be.

Angelini Bellini had been born in Florence Italy. Everyone called her Angel. She had a generous heart so the name fit her well. She was a beautiful woman, inside and out, who stood just a little over five feet tall. She had beautiful brown, wavy hair with bright brown eyes. Angel was oldest child of a family of ten. She not only grew up helping to raise her siblings, but also had lots of cousins who lived nearby. The Bellini family was very large and very close.

Angel excelled at school and loved teaching others. Her favorite subjects included anything in the arts. She had won many awards for her acting in the drama club while also winning hearts with her paintings. During her high school years, she made the decision to pursue a career in acting. Her dream was to encourage young girls to join drama clubs and learn how to act. She wanted them all to succeed.

During summer break from college, Angel's life suddenly took a huge turn in the wrong direction, though it didn't seem it at the time. She had applied for a chance to attend summer acting school in Russia. She could barely contain herself when she found out in January that her application had been one of the few accepted for that summer's enrollment. She was so excited for this amazing opportunity to attend this well known theater in Russia. The Leningrad State Institute of Theatre, Music and Cinematography or LGITMIK for short, was a dream come true for Angel. Her mother had encouraged her to apply for the summer session but Angel never expected to be picked. It was an incredible honor to find out that they accepted her. Being able to include this achievement on her job resume would help impress any employer when she began to pursue her career.

When she arrived in Russia, she was blown away by the beauty of the country. The school did everything in its power to keep the dark side of Russia hidden from the students from abroad. They tried to keep each of them so busy that they didn't have time to sight see or talk to the locals. To ensure that they didn't go far, the school put on events to entertain these students during their free time. There was a college nearby and loyal, Russian students were handpicked to attend these events. It was during a Friday night dance that Angel met Teodor Pervak. He had the most stunning blue eyes that seemed to look right into her soul. He was tall and so very handsome with his muscled arms and lean body. She found herself drawn to him because he had a mysterious air about him. That first night was magical. Afterward, every chance he got, Teo would come to visit her. At first he was very gentle with her and seemed amused with her carefree personality. Her mother had raised her to be a free thinker and to enjoy life. Meanwhile, she found Teo to be a very intelligent, confident man who seemed to be extremely protective of her. At first, iwee43t was nice to have some one to watch over her and support her while she worked on her acting. Then suddenly she began to notice that he seemed too protective and domineering. He demanded to know where she was at all times even when he wasn't there. He began telling her who she could be friends with and who she should avoid. They began fighting like an old married couple. Angel could hold her own though. Most of the times, they would both agree on a compromise. His behavior should have worried her, but she truly was caught up in the moment of the adventure she was living. After all, he was just a passing fancy and soon she would be returning to Italy.

The summer went very quickly and soon the summer program was in its final week. Teo picked Angel up on a Friday night to take her out to dinner and a movie. After the movie, he drove out to a spot nearby where the locals liked to make out. Angel had made it clear that she wasn't that type of girl when he had tried to pressure her in the past. He assured her this time that he just wanted to talk. As they sat in the car, he pulled her close to him and planted small kisses on her cheek. After a minute he stopped and looked her in the eyes. He began telling her how much he loved her. He swore he had never met anyone like her before and he wasn't sure if he could live without her. He then began begging her to stay. Angel told him that her family expected her to return to Italy. She also gently reminded him that her life was there. When he realized that he was losing her, he began crying. He told her that he would join the Russia military and ask to be sent away. He spent over an hour trying to guilt her into staying. Angel did feel bad, but she had always made it clear that this relationship was just for fun and that she didn't have any romantic feelings for him. When he refused to give up on convincing her to stay, she suggested that he bring her back to her dorm. Immediately he became angry while shoving her away from him. He slammed his hands down on the steering wheel. Angel shrunk back from him even further while trying not to show fear. He finally agreed to do as she wished, but told her that he was not done with her yet.

She didn't see him again after that night. She finished out the week and then flew back to Italy. Her life returned quickly to the same routines she had known before she went to Russia. Teo was soon a distant memory.

After she graduated from college, she decided to continue on to get her Master's Degree in teaching. One night while she was studying for a big exam, her phone rang. She thought she was imagining things when the man on the other end identified himself as Teo. She kept the conversation light and they caught up on what they were each up to. Angel was shocked to learn that Teo had joined the Russian military. He assured her that he was fine, but that he never did find another woman who made him feel the way she did. He asked if he could contact her again in a few days and she reluctantly agreed.

He soon began calling every week. This time he didn't push her in any way. They chatted about her studies and her friends. He told her about the guys he shared the barracks with and some of the things he had done during training. The men were allowed to make one phone call a week for ten minutes and it soon became routine for him to call her. He didn't seem to want to control her this time. She found herself enjoying their talks and laughing at his silly jokes. She even began to look forward to the phone calls. This went on for months. Angel didn't have time to date since she was determined to graduate early. When he asked her about a boyfriend, she could honestly tell him that there wasn't one.

During one of the phone calls, Teo told her that he had something really important and confidential to share with her. He had been approached by the KGB who offered to enroll him in a program to make him a spy. He weaved a fantasy tale of the exciting life of being a spy and she found herself wrapped up in his tale. She really thought he was just telling her a story. She never really believed him. He swore her to secrecy and she went along with it.

The months seemed to fly by and soon Angel was graduating at the top of her class. She had already been approached by a few different schools who were interested in hiring her. When she told Teo of her good news, he insisted that she needed to come to Russia and enjoy some time off before beginning a new job. He promised to take her sight seeing so she could see just how beautiful Russia was. Angel didn't get to see much of the country when she was there for her summer school project. She couldn't help but feel excited to get a second chance. She refused at first, but soon realized that she would regret not going while she had the chance. She finally relented and told him that she could fly out in a week. When she told her family, they were a little worried. She had told her mother about Teo's possessiveness when she was there before. However, she had not told anyone about the phone calls. She had looked forward to them each week and she knew her parents would be concerned about him calling her. She was an adult though and they understood that it was her life. In the end, they gave her their blessing to go back to Russia.

Once she arrived, Teo made every effort to dazzle her. He brought her sight seeing at old churches. They spent time at all the top rated tourist spots. He wined and dined her every night as they sat staring into each other's eyes. He was different now. Angel was falling in love with him. Toward the end of her time there, she received a phone call from the LGITMIK. They offered her a teaching job. She would be working beside of some of the most renowned known Russian drama instructors. The catch was that she needed to start immediately and they could only give her 24 hours to make a decision. She had no way to know that Teo had arranged this. She just knew that it was an incredible opportunity and since she hadn't accepted anything in Italy, she was still free to do what she wanted. She called her family to let them know. She was shocked when they begged her not to take the job. Her mother especially had always been so supportive in the past. This time things were different. Her mother warned her that things seemed suspicious and that she needed to come home. Angel told her that she worried too much. In the end she accepted the job.

Teo was overjoyed that his plan had worked. He was finding it harder and harder to keep his temper in check and pretend that he was the type of man that would interest her. It never occurred to her to question why this well known school would offer a job to an unknown teacher who didn't even know the language. She was just so overjoyed to be offered the job. As soon as her mind was made up, Teo enrolled her in a Russian language class. Thankfully she picked up the language quickly which allowed her to begin teaching her drama class. She loved every minute of the class. She had more males than females, but she was determined to give the females equal time.

Teo had offered his extra room to her when she flew to Russia. Since it was just for two weeks at the time, she had agreed to stay there. Now she began questioning if she should find different accommodations since she would be staying longer. He assured her that it would be perfectly okay for her to stay there. He had been a total gentleman the entire time. She reluctantly agreed since she really didn't have the money for an apartment. Teo continued to respect her and not put any moves onto her until the weekend of her birthday. She was turning 25 and he insisted that she deserved a memorable celebration. He invited friends over for a huge party. They danced and drank vodka and danced some more. At midnight, he pushed the last of these guests out the door. Angel could barely stand. She was not used to drinking so it affected her even though she hadn't drank that much. He asked her if she was okay as she wobbled to the couch. She assured him that she just felt a little dizzy and wanted to sit down. He sat beside of her and held her. After a few minutes, he began kissing her. He was gentle at first but then his kisses became more passionate. Perhaps she would have stopped him if she had been sober, but she had feelings for him by this time and he was making her feel good. He soon picked her up and carried her into his bedroom.

When she awoke the next morning, she found herself wrapped up in his arms. The guilt hit her immediately that she had allowed herself to be with a man before marriage. She got up and went to the bathroom to take a shower. They never discussed what happened that night and Teo made no move to repeat the performance.

It took about three months for her to realize that something was not quite right. She had been sick in the morning a lot lately. She also seemed to crave foods that she normally despised. Teo became concerned and convinced her to go see his doctor. She laughed it off at first. Then one morning, she had to call out of work. She had spent the entire morning over the toilet. She agreed to let Teo make an appointment. He got her in that day. Her worse fears came true when the pregnancy test came back positive. Teo, on the other hand, was ecstatic. She asked him how she could ever tell her family. He got down on one knee and proposed to her. Feeling totally defeated with no other options, she accepted. They got married quietly and quickly. As her belly grew, Teo bragged to everyone about the special little boy he was going to have. Angel warned him constantly that it could be a little girl. He wouldn't hear of it. Any child he created would be a boy. Anything else was just not acceptable.

Teo treated his new wife like a queen. He bought her expensive clothes and sleepwear to make sure she was in luxury as she carried his son. He hired a chef so that Angel would not have to do any cooking. Of course he also hired a housekeeper to come in twice a week to clean. He insisted that Angel quit her job. She pleaded with him to let her keep working, but he wouldn't hear of it. She would need to be taking care of his son once he was born. That would be her job now and that meant that she didn't have time for the school anymore.

The time dragged by slowly for Angel. She felt very little joy about this baby she was carrying. On top of that, the old Teo had resurfaced. He was possessive again and controlling. He didn't let her make any of the decisions and kept a tight rein on who she spent time with. He wouldn't even let her call her mother. He paid the staff to spy on her and watch her when he wasn't there. In public, he appeared to be nothing but a gentleman though who was completely in love with his wife. He continued to proudly talk about the son he was about to have.

Finally one night as Angel was preparing for bed, her water broke. Teo rushed her to the hospital. He didn't like blood much since his job required him to hurt people all the time so he decided not to be in the room for the birth. Instead, he waited out in the waiting room and passed out cigars to the other waiting fathers. The cigars each said "It's a boy" on them. It took hours for Angel to finally deliver the baby. The doctor came out and let him know that the baby had arrived. Teo followed the doctor into the labor room while barely being able to contain his giddiness. As the doctor placed the baby in his arms, he said "Welcome your new little daughter. Your wife said that her name is Eva."

"A daughter?" Teo exclaimed. "A daughter. Where the hell is my son?"

"Sir?" the doctor asked while confused at his reaction. "Who told you that the baby was a boy?"

"No one but I just assumed that it would be," Teo said as he glared at his wife.

"I tried to tell you that it might not be," Angel said fearfully as she watched his reaction.

Teo flung the baby into the doctor's arms and stomped out of the room without another word.

**TBC**


	61. Chapter 61 - A Difficult Life

**Chapter 61 – A Difficult Life **

Eva laid in a fetal position on the prison bunk as memories of her past overwhelmed her. With little else to occupy her time, she found herself thinking about her mom a lot. Deep down in her heart, her mom realized that she likely would not be around for Eva when she was older. It spurred her to do whatever she could to ensure her daughter was a survivor.

When they first came home from the hospital, Teo wanted nothing to do with either of them. Angel spent all her time caring for Eva and making sure she felt secured and loved. She put Eva's crib into the room furthest from Teo's bedroom to ensure he was not irritated with her if she cried. Angel found a few blankets and slept on the floor so she could be near her daughter to comfort her quickly if she did cry. She also talked to her constantly. She knew that if she talked to her as a baby then Teo would not question why she was talking to her later when she was old enough to understand what was being said. She kept the emotion out of her voice while she explained the things that children tended to question. Her plan worked perfectly since Teo just sneered at her whenever he happened to be nearby to hear her talking.

Now and then Angel would accidentally be in his way and he would make sure she knew he was in charge. They no longer invited anyone to visit since it would be hard to explain Angel's bruises.

As Eva grew older, Angel taught her to avoid her father also. Angel spent hours telling Eva about her heritage in Italy. She recited the stories as if they were bedtime stories. She felt that if Eva heard them over and over as a child, then she would not only remember her mother, but would also know that she had a real family in Italy. It was important to Angel that Eva understood why her mother had failed her and how they both came to be with this man who didn't seem to love either of them.

For several years, Teo mostly ignored them. At first, his co-workers had often teased him by asking him how he was enjoying his son. The word had spread quickly after Eva's birth that the child was a girl. The teasing was done in fun spirits as they had no way to know that Teo was outraged that his child had not been a boy. They also had no way to know that Teo would lash out at his family after being teased at work. Those were usually the days that he punished Angel the most. Thankfully, as time went by people found other things to talk about like usually happens in life. It became rare for anyone to ask Teo anything about either Angel or Eva especially since he never talked about them.

Meanwhile, Teo had earned the respect of being one of the top KGB agents in the field. He was considered to be a ruthless, cruel man who got results. No one enjoyed working with him as they were all afraid of him. Having a daughter was still an embarrassment to him so he never brought his family out in public. The other men who had families would proudly talk about their daughters and put them on pedestals. Teo felt superior to them since he was their leader. He believed it was okay for them to have female children, but a man as powerful as he, should have had a son.

Meanwhile, Angel did everything she could to prepare Eva for the world. When Teo was gone, she would sneak her outside. They would spend hours exploring parks, museums and stores together. Other times, Angel would show Eva the basics in life like cooking, laundry and cleaning. To have fun, they would act out plays together. They always picked times when Teo would be gone since their acting usually caused them both to giggle loudly and they knew he would not be happy. Eva soon became a very good actress just like her mother.

Eventually Angel got Teo to reluctantly agree to allow Angel to formerly begin to teach elementary school to Eva. Eva had always been a very intelligent girl who enjoyed learning new things. Starting her education late, meant that Eva had a lot of catching up to do. She was already nine when Angel was allowed to officially start a curriculum. She learned quickly though and soaked up everything she was taught. By the time she turned 16, she had completed the lessons for elementary and middle school that the average Russian child would accomplish after 10 years. Eva was excited to begin her additional training. She had decided to follow in her mom's footsteps and pursue a career in acting. Angel was hopeful that she could convince Teo to let their daughter attend drama school like she had.

Eva had always been inquisitive, but she was also artistic. It only seemed natural that she would show a flair for her mom's artistic abilities. Since she had some down time while she waited to see if she was accepted at the LGITMIK, she spent her time working on her artwork. One day she decided to turn her bedroom walls into a huge mural. She created a scenic world that featured a waterfall surrounded by a forest. She made the waterfall 3-d so that it took on a life of its own as it splashed down from her ceiling and spilled onto her floor. She then surrounded it by all kinds of wildlife including deer, bear, wolves, birds, butterflies and even baby raccoons. When she showed it to her mom, Angel was so proud of it. Angel was sure that when Teo saw it, he would be blown away by it and finally begin to accept his daughter. She hoped that it also would mean that he would approve of Eva going to the LGITMIK if she was accepted. Angel prepared a special dinner that night. By this time, Teo had agreed that Eva was allowed to eat with them. Eva knew to just quietly eat her meal and to only talk if she was asked something. That night as Teo was enjoying his dinner, Angel told him that Eva had done something really wonderful. She asked him if he would like to see it after dinner. He grunted and continued eating. After the meal was done and the dishes were in the sink soaking, he agreed to view this wonder of the world. Eva tentatively took her father's hand in hers and led him to her room. As they opened the door and turned on the light, he stood staring at her wall without saying a word. His face never showed any expression. Suddenly he turned sharply and headed to his study where he spent the rest of the night. Eva felt a huge disappointment that even this did not seem to please her father. Angel pulled Eva into a comforting hug but the damage was done. "Why does he hate me so much Mama?" Eva asked Angel. Angel kissed her on the forehead and replied, "He doesn't hate you. He's just disappointed because he was so sure you would be a boy." It wasn't the first time that they had had this conversation. Angel had hoped that she would have a second child and provide him with the boy that he so desperately desired. However, Teo refused to touch her intimately after Eva was born. He told her that he couldn't face the embarrassment if she produced another female child. Angel never shared that information with Eva. The child had enough to bear with what she did know.

The next morning Teo left early for work. He spent the day making inquiries and threats. When he returned home that night, he carried a shopping bag full of clothes. He ordered his family to the kitchen. Once both Angel and Eva were present, he ordered Eva to sit in a chair in front of him. Eva trembled as she obeyed. Teo pulled out a pair of scissors and proceeded to cut off all of Eva's long, wavy hair. Angel stood watching the whole thing while trying to not show the emotion she was feeling. She knew she had to be brave for Eva's sake and that she must not cry. Meanwhile, Eva kept her focus on her mother for strength. Eva struggled to keep her fears from surfacing as she was stunned that her father would punish her this way. She could only worry about what else he intended to do to her.

When Teo was done, Eva was nearly bald and resembled a boy. He then emptied the bag and showed her the school uniform for the military academy he had just enrolled her in. It had taken all of his clout and most of his day, but the school had finally agreed to accept her enrollment. Teo was much too powerful of a man for the school to reject her. He informed them both that Eva would be immediately moved to the school's dorm. Since she was the only girl, she would have her own room, but would be surrounded by the male students. It was implied that acting like a female from this day forward would be dangerous for her own safety and that there would be no one there to coddle her. Angel begged him not to send their daughter away. She promised to do whatever he wished if only he would change his mind. He told her that his mind was already made up.

That night Eva clung to her mother and cried her eyes out while begging her to stop this somehow. Angel knew that the only way to stop Teo was for them to escape to Italy. Unfortunately, she had already tried several times, but without any money or way to contact her family, it was a useless idea. Angel forced Eva to look into her eyes as she told her that she would need to be brave. She promised her that she would continue to try to change Teo's mind, but that it was very important that Eva behaved. Any word back from the school that Eva was not doing as she was told would cause Teo to become angrier. Eva agreed to do the best she could and to make her mother proud of her. Angel looked at her proudly and acknowledged that she knew she would. Angel then reminded her about all the stories she had told her over the years and made Eva promise not to forget them. It was important that she have this knowledge as she sat out into this new, unknown world. They clung to each other that night as they tried to sleep. They spent the night sleepless with many tears. Eva had no way to know that it would be the last time she saw her mother.

Teo, personally drove Eva to the campus the next day. She was introduced to Commander Volkov who was in charge of the school. She hated the place immediately. Being a girl meant that everyone was out to get her. The boys pushed her around every chance they got. She knew her father was right when he said no one would protect her there. It didn't take long for her to begin fighting back. Of course, she would get into trouble for fighting while the ones who started it would only be verbally reprimanded. It just made her more determined than ever to show them all that they couldn't defeat her.

She managed to make it through the first year while maintaining a high grade point average. She was so happy as she finished her last final exam. She had been forcing herself to stay calm and not show the emotion she was feeling. Deep down, she was dying in excitement because she could finally go home for the summer and be with her mother. Teo had forbidden any contact between the two of them so it had been months since she talked to her. She had missed her mother so much. There were so many days she wished she could have talked to Angel to get her guidance and to draw on her strength. Eva was becoming a young lady and she had no one to talk to about her emotions or her body changes. She looked forward to discussing all of that along with many other things with her mother.

As she was packing her bags so she could catch the bus, she was suddenly summoned to Commander Volkov's office. She hurried there so that she wouldn't miss the bus that would be arriving within the hour. As ran breathlessly into his office, Volkov ordered her to close the door. He then gestured to the chair in front of his desk and she obediently sat down. "I have some news from home for you," he said quietly as he slid an envelope to her. He told her to go ahead and read it. Eva nervously opened the envelope and pulled out the one sheet of paper tucked inside. Her father had written one small paragraph.

"I'm sorry to inform you that your mother died of a heart attack today. I rushed her to the hospital, but they could not save her. There is no place for you in this house so I have arranged for you to remain with the school until your graduation. I will continue to monitor your process.

Yours,

Teo"

Eva's eyes began to well up as she read the letter. Then she noticed the date. He had written it two months prior to her receiving it. She held back her tears so that she would not be reprimanded and asked the commander why she was not told when it happened. He explained that her father felt it was best that she focus on her studies and not allow her mother's death be a distraction. The commander dismissed her after telling her that he would give her 48 hours to mourn. She would be enrolled in summer school. He explained that this would begin her combat training. Her father had decided she would become a soldier. She asked if females were allowed in the military. The commander sneered at her as he spat out "They are when they have a father who is a KGB agent." He then ordered her to her room while he concentrated on the paperwork in front of him.

Eva spent the summer learning to fire guns, self defense and learning how she was supposed to kill other people while still grieving the only friend she had ever had. Her mother had been her whole world. She couldn't help but wonder if her father had killed her mother. Perhaps he intended to kill her too. Without her mother to guide her, Eva's life seemed so dark and dismal. She no longer cared about anything or anyone so she learned quickly to be heartless and cruel. It didn't take long for her to make a name for herself. Soon the word got out that Eva was showing so much potential and it excited the commander. He reported back to her father about her improvement and how much she had achieved in her first year. It surprised Commander Volkov that Teo didn't seem impressed with his daughter no matter what she accomplished. When Eva first arrived, Volkov had been bitter that she was being forced onto him. As time went on and she stood up to the boys harassments and excelled so well in her studies, his opinion of her began to change. It puzzled him that she seemed so unwanted by her father. Surely he must realize that his daughter was pretty amazing.

It began to bother Vokov at how badly Teo treated Eva so Andrei Volkov took it upon himself to become a father figure to her. He convinced the others to leave her alone as he took her under his wing. He became very protective of her. He also began teaching her everything he knew. As he began to get to know her better, he was amazed with her intelligence and her determination. He also couldn't help but notice what a beautiful woman she was becoming.

Eva wasn't sure what to think when the commander suddenly started helping her. She stopped being bullied by her classmates. For the first time, she even began to be served enough food to eat without having to steal it. Volkov supported and encouraged her. He told her how proud he was of her for all she had accomplished. The summer went by quickly as Eva honed her battle skills. The more skilled she became, the more the commander was pleased with her progress.

When her studies started back up in the fall, the commander again stepped in on her behalf. Now instead of belittling her and breaking her confidence, her instructors encouraged her. With this new support, Eva plunged into her studies and completed two years worth of lessons during this second year. Even with such a huge achievement, she still never heard anything from her father. The commander always informed her father of her progress every couple of months, but rarely received an acknowledgement back from him. It made the commander feel even more sympathetic to Eva.

The next summer, she participated again in a special program for students who wanted to become part of the military. With the commander's help, she continued to be one of the top students. By this time, Eva had found a comfort in being in the company of the commander. Deep down, he was a kind man who had changed her life so much. She still missed her mother every day, but she was surviving. Her mother had taught her to survive at all costs. She knew her mother would be proud that she had taken those lessons to heart.

Eva's final year wasn't much different than the previous two years. She put all of her energy into her studies. Along the way though, she found herself spending more and more time with Andrei. He insisted that she call him by his first name when they were off campus. They would go out of town so that they could avoid being recognized. It was easier than trying to explain why they were together. He began bringing her out to dinner at nice restaurants. Afterward, they would go dancing or to a movie. She found closeness to him that she had never felt before with anyone else. He was every bit a gentleman though and treated her only like a close friend. As time went on, Eva was falling in love with him. She denied to herself this unexplained emotion though and just continued to enjoy his company. He showed her what it felt like to be alive, to have fun and to laugh. She felt so secure when she was with him while feeling the need to always make him proud of her. She loved nothing more than when she would tell him of her latest accomplishments and he would break out into a huge smile.

When she graduated from the academy, it was Andrei who sat and clapped as she accepted her diploma. Teo had sent word that he was too busy for the graduation. After the ceremony Andrei had taken her out to celebrate. They went out of town like always. Eva had recently turned 18 so she was allowed to drink in public. That night the champagne flowed as they made their toasts to her achieving what few other females had ever attempted. Later, the bartender began serving them Russian vodka. By midnight, they both knew they were in no condition to go back to the campus. Andrei found out that there were rooms for rent upstairs. He asked to rent two, but only one was available. Having no other choice, they agreed. As soon as their heads hit their pillows, they fell into a deep sleep. They both began to stir around noon. Andrei awoke first and found Eva's head on his chest. As he stared into her beautiful eyes, he couldn't help but admit to himself that he had fallen in love with her. She was an amazing woman who had fought through so much in her young life to achieve where she was now. She had related the story of her upbringing to him by this time. It had made his heart hurt even more for her. Through it all, she had managed to stay a good hearted woman. As he stared at her, he suddenly took a chance and kissed her. It woke her up while startling her at the same time. She acted scared at first, but he stroked her cheek and told her that he loved her as he gently kissed her again. This time she kissed him back.

They spent the rest of the day in bed together. At some point they realized they needed food and ordered room service. Eva couldn't believe that this amazing man loved her. She couldn't find a way to tell him that she felt the same way, but it didn't seem to matter to him. While she was in his arms, nothing else seemed to matter.

The next day, as they lounged around snuggling together, they began talking about Eva's future. Andrei begged her not to enlist in the military. It would be a harsh world for a woman. He suggested that maybe she could begin training to be a KGB agent like her father. He offered to write to her father and see if he would help her obtain a spot in the training program. That would leave her some freedom to still meet him on the weekends. The fear of losing Andrei was stronger than the fear of her father's wrath of her not joining the military so she agreed.

True to his word, Andrei sent a letter off to Teo suggesting that Eva's talents would be more suitable as an agent than a soldier. They were both shocked when Teo sent back word that he agreed. He had her enrolled in a six month program that would begin teaching her the basics. The facility was only forty miles away and she would be free to leave on weekends. Andrei and Eva soon began spending every weekend together.

Their love for each other intensified over her six months training. Andrei began discussing marriage. Eva was terrified that her father would never agree, but Andrei was sure he could convince him. As they started to plan their happily ever after, Eva began realizing that there might be a problem. She finally had no choice and had to face the situation. She made a doctor's appointment without Andrei's knowledge. When she heard the results, she was thrilled, but also knew that her father would be angry. She was pregnant. It should have been the happiest day of her life. Eva knew that Andrei would definitely want to marry her now. Her father would think that he was doing it just for the baby.

Just as she expected, Andrei was thrilled to hear she was pregnant and wanted to announce their marriage immediately. It also meant that Eva would not be able to continue her studies to become a Russian agent. They began fighting over how to deal with the news _and_ her father. However, before they could make any formal announcement, the word got out by accident. One of Eva's classmates noticed that she seemed to be gaining weight. While she was being bullied about this new weight, she got angry and accidentally let it slip out that she couldn't help it. The student immediately realized she was pregnant. Of course Eva pleaded with him not to say anything. This news was too juicy to keep a secret though and soon her whole training class knew. It didn't take long for her father to receive the news as well. Once again this female spawn of his had caused him embarrassment.

He ordered her to visit him at his home. When she arrived, he ushered her into his study and closed the door. He asked her if it was true that she was pregnant. She admitted that it was. He then asked who the father was. She thought that her father would be happy that his soon to be son-in-law was the commander of the school. Instead as soon as she told him, his face fell. He informed her that she would be sent away immediately to have the baby. As soon as the baby was born, it would be sent to an orphanage. He also ordered her to immediately cut off all ties to Kolkov. She begged her father to listen to her as he pushed past her to get out of the room. She sat and cried for a few minutes and then had an awful thought. She knew she needed to get to Andrei immediately. She rushed out to her car and drove as quickly as she could to the academy's campus. As she pulled into the parking lot, she could see the red lights of an ambulance flashing. She jumped out of the car and ran over just as they were about to shut the door. "What happened? Who is it?" she asked anxiously while trying to get a look. There was a body under a sheet. The paramedic gently explained, "I'm sorry Miss, but you don't want to see this. This man was murdered."

"Who is it? Who was murdered?" Eva fearfully asked. There was a crowd around the ambulance. One of the students who was crying said in a wailing voice, "Someone murdered Commander Volkov. He's dead. He's dead."

Eva hadn't realized that she was crying as the memories tormented her. She was forced back into the present when the prison guard pushed her dinner plate through the slot. He noticed her tears, but didn't even bother to ask her if she was okay. As she stared at the tray, she couldn't help but wonder if Lee could help her. Should she tell him? He might be her last hope. Besides, at this point, Angelo was getting too close and could become the next target. Maybe it was time that Lee knew so he could at least save Angelo before it was too late. She owed Angelo that much and so much more for what she put him through. It might be too late for her, but maybe Lee could still save Angelo.

**TBC**


End file.
